Ghusl - The Obligatory and Optional Bath

[Mental Possibility]

Besides the obligatory Ghusl, the ghusl is also recommended for different matters. Most of these ghusls are related to matters for which the people gather. In general, it is recommended to take a ghusl whenever there is a gathering of goodness:

Among them is al Jumu^ah. Its time (the ghusl) starts at dawn, and the best is to delay it as much as possible without being late for Jumu^ah. The evidenc
e for that is his saying:
مَنْ أَتَى مِنْكُمُ الْجُمُعَةَ فَلْيَغْتَسِلْ
"Anyone of you who came to Jumu^ah, let him take a ghusl"
This is narrated by Muslim. The school of Ash-Shafi^iyy is that it is recommended, and this is the position of the majority of the imams of the Salaf and the Khalaf, and this is what is famous from the Malikiyy school and from his companions. The evidence for the majority is a number of authentic hadiths. Among those hadiths is the saying of the Prophet:
مَنْ تَوَضَّأَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ فَبِهَا وَنِعْمَتْ، وَمَنِ اغْتَسَلَ فَهُوَ أَفْضَلُ
"Whoever has made wudu' on the day of Jumu^ah, then that is good and whoever has made a ghusl, the ghusl is better."
This is narrated by At-Tirmidhiyy and others. If one were unable to make a ghusl because of the lack of water, or because of harming his body, then he makes tayammum, and he gets the reward for that recommendation, based on the qiyas.

Among those recommended ghusls is the ghusl of the two ^Ids. It is recommended to take a ghusl for them because it is matter for which the people gather. The recommendation of taking a ghusl for the ^Ids is based on comparing (qiyas) it to the recommendation for Jumu^ah. It is valid after dawn, and even before that, at midnight.

The ghusl for giving ghusl to a dead person is recommended. The Prophet said:
مَنْ غَسَّلَ الْمَيِّتَ فَلْيَغْتَسِلْ، وَمَنْ حَمَلَهُ فَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ
"Whoever gave ghusl to a dead person, let him take a ghusl and whoever carried the dead person, let him make wudu'."
At-Tirmidhiyy said this hadith is hasan, however Imam Ahmad said this hadith stops at Abu Hurayrah, may Allah except his deeds. For that reason, Ahmad said it is not obligatory; had the Prophet said it, he would have understood it to be an obligation. Ash-Shafi^iyy said, "If the hadith is authentic, I say it is obligatory.

Among the recommended ghusls is the ghusl of a person who embraced Islam. It was narrated that the Prophet ordered Qays Ibn ^Asim and Thumamah Ibn Athal to both take a ghusl when they embraced Islam. We did not say it is obligatory to take a ghusl for embracing Islam, because a group of people embraced Islam and the Prophet did not order them to take a ghusl.

This is in reference to a blasphemer that did not do something that makes a ghusl obligatory while in a state of blasphemy. If he did, then the school is that it is an obligation to take a ghusl upon embracing Islam, for he lacked the valid intention of purification while he was a blasphemer.

Among the recommended ghusls is that of the insane person if he woke up; i.e. if he regained his sanity. Likewise, the one who fainted is recommended to take a ghusl if he woke up. This is because insanity and being unconscious from fainting is thought to likely be a reason for ejaculation. Ash-Shafi^iyy said, "No one went crazy except that he ejaculated."

[Mental Possibility]

The Obligatory Purificatory Bath (Ghusl)
Among the conditions of prayer is purification from the state of major ritual impurity (hadath akbar) by performing the purificatory bath. Dry purification (tayammum) is performed when one cannot perform ghusl.

مِنْ شُرُوطِ الصَّلاَةِ: الطهارَةُ مِنَ الحَدَثِ الأكبر بالغُسْلِ أو التيمُّمِ لِمَنْ عَجَزَ عَنِ الغُسْلِ.
والذى يُوْجِبُ الغسل  خَمْسَةُ أَشْيَاءَ: خُرُوجُ المنىِّ. والجِمَاعُ. والحيضُ والنّـِفَاسُ والوِلادة.

One is required to perform the purificatory bath after any of these five things occur:

1. The emission of maniyy (Spermal fluid);
2. Sexual intercourse (Jima^);
3. Termination of menses (Hayd);
4. Termination of postpartum bleeding (Nifas);
5. Childbirth (Wilada).



Integrals of the Purificatory Bath (Ghusl)

فُرُوضُ الغُسْلِ اثْنَانِ. نِيةُ رَفْعِ الحَدَثِ الأكبرِ أو نحوُها ، وتعميمُ جميعِ البَدَنِ بَشَرًا وَشَعَرًا وإن كَثُفَ بالماءِ

The integrals of the purificatory bath are two:

1. To have the intention to clear oneself of the state of major ritual impurity (hadath akbar) or a similar intention;
2. To wash the whole body with water, including the skin and the hair even if it is thick.



Prohibitions While in a State of Ritual Impurity (Hadath)
يحرم على المحدث حدثاً أصغر: الصلاة، والطواف بالكعبة، وحمل المصحف ومسه.
ويحرم على الجنب ما يحرم على المحدث حدثاً أصغر، وقراءة القرءان والمكث في المسجد،
ويحرم على الحائض والنفساء ما يحرم على الجنب، والصيام قبل انقطاع الدم، وتمكين الزوج والسيد من الإستمتاع بما بين سرتها وركبتها من غير حائل قبل الغسل


The one who invalidated his wudu' is prohibited to perform prayer, circumambulate the Ka^bah, and to carry or touch the Book of the Qur'an (Mushaf). However, the child who has reached the age of mental discrimination (mumayyiz) and is studying in the Book of the Qur'an is allowed to carry it and touch it without wudu'.

It is unlawful for the person who emitted maniyy (junub) to do the aforementioned, and also to recite the Qur'an, or stay in a mosque.

It is unlawful for the menstruating and postpartum-bleeding women to do all the aforementioned actions, to fast before the cessation of bleeding, and to allow the husband or the master to enjoy the area between their navel and knees before they have performed the purificatory bath (ghusl). Some scholars said anything other than sexual intercourse is allowed.

[Mental Possibility]

So among what necessitates a ghusl is menstruation, which is the blood that comes out of a woman who has at least reached approximately nine lunar years. Allah said:
<(وَلَا تَقْرَبُوهُنَّ حَتَّى يَطْهُرْنَ فَإِذَا تَطَهَّرْنَ فَأْتُوهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَكُمُ اللَّه)>
<Do not approach them (i.e. even after the menstrual cycle is finished) until they are pure, and if they have performed purificatio
n, then approach them from whatever way Allah made lawful for you.>
And it was narrated from ^A'ishah that the Messenger of Allah said:
إِذَا أَقْبَلَتِ الحَيْضَةُ، فَدَعِي الصَّلاَةَ، وَإِذَا أَدْبَرَتْ، فَاغْسِلِي عَنْكِ الدَّمَ وَصَلِّي
"If the menstruation came then leave out the Prayer, and if it goes away then wash the blood from yourself and pray."
This is narrated by Al-Bukhariyy and Muslim.

[Mental Possibility]

Question: Can you speak about the difference between the 'mathi' and the 'mani'? I get asked about it a lot among the young guys and they get confused...

ANSWER: The 'Maniyy' is the ejaculated fluid of men and women. It has three signs: 1. it exits in spurts, 2. it is pleasureful and followed by a weakness, and 3. it has a particular smell.
It is pure, not filthy, so if it is on a person's cloth
es, the prayer is valid; it need not be removed, but removing it is better. If it comes out, one must perform a ghusl.

The 'mathy' is the 'preejaculated' fluid that comes out by sexual arousal. It is also for men and women. It does not have the signs mentioned above. It does not necessitate a ghusl. It only requires istinja', because it is impure and filthy, and it requires wudu. One cannot pray with it on the clothing.