no one becomes a Muslim by intention alone without voicing the words of the testimony of faith—the declaration of Islam—while his heart attests to it at that very moment. Just as a person is not deemed a Muslim until he pronounces the true testimony, so too he is neither ritually pure nor qualified to pray until he utters that testimony. Only what tongues articulate of Islam and faith is counted by the hearts; and in our view faith is verbal acknowledgement coupled with inward assent. The Messenger of Allah was sent solely to summon people to say lā ilāha illā Allāh, and he said: “Whoever says lā ilāha illā Allāh sincerely from his heart will enter Paradise.”

He said to the black woman: “Do you bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah?” Reports conveying this meaning are extremely numerous. This is the creed of the Sunni community concerning faith: it is a statement of the tongue and a conviction of the heart that is nourished by deeds. Allah says, “To Him ascend the good words, and the righteous deed raises them” (Fāṭir 35:10).

If a woman who is in a state of janabah begins to menstruate, she does not bathe until her bleeding ceases, after which one ghusl suffices for both her janabah and her menstruation; even if she intends the bath solely for the menstruation, it is still valid.

All of the foregoing are baths that are individually obligatory upon the living. As for the deceased, washing him is obligatory—just like burying him and offering the funeral prayer over him—and whoever among the living performs it fulfills the communal duty, and it is sufficient.

The baths that are recommended or Sunnah include the bath for Friday, for the two Eids, and for entering the state of ihram for pilgrimage. ʿUmar used to bathe on entering Mecca and on the eve of standing at ʿArafah, and many of Mālik’s companions considered this commendable and transmitted it.