Elements of Islamic Studies

Lesson 44: Ghusl

  1. Seven kinds of ghusl are wajib

(1) Janabat, (2) Haiz, (3) Nifas. (4) Istihaza (5) Mayyit, (6) Mass al-Maiyit. and (7) The ghusl of nadhar, qasam or ‘ahd

  1. How to do ghusl

There are two ways of doing ghusl: (1) Tartibi and (2) Irtimasi.

Ghusl tartibi

In this way of ghusl, the body is washed in three stages. First, the head down to the chamber-bone is washed including the face and neck; second, the right side of the body is washed from the shoulders down to the feet; third the left side of the body is washed likewise. This ghusl is preferable, even if you are bathing in a pool or river or sea. In a bath-room no method can be used other than the tartibi ghusl.

Ghusl Irtimasi

It can be done in pools or rivers only. In it the whole body is immersed in the water at once after the niyyah, not gradually.

  1. Conditions of ghusl:

All the conditions of wudhu (mentioned in lesson No. 20) apply to the ghusl also, except conditions No: 5, 7, 8. 12 and 13.
The difference in these conditions are as follows:

  1. The whole body must be tahir (clean);

  2. Tartib is necessary in ghusl tartibi only. In ghusl irtimasi there is no tartib.

  3. There is no muwalat in ghusl tartibi. It means that if you wash your head then you go out and come again after some time and wash your right side and then left side, your ghusl is correct.

  4. There is no fixed law as how should you wash the body. If you maintain the tartib, i.e. if you wash your head first, then the right side, then the left side, It is enough. There is no rule that you should begin the washing of head, for example, from the upper side and then come down; or wash the right side, for example, from shoulder and then come down to the foot. You may begin from the foot and go above up to the shoulder.

  5. There is no masah (wiping) in ghusl.