How to perform Ghusl? – How to do Ghusl?

Ghusl means to purify body with the help of water. In Islam, perform ghusl means to achieve physical purification by removing all the impurities from body before performing Fardh worships.

At which occasions Muslims perform Ghusl?

Here are the occasions after when Ghusl is highly recommended for Muslims.

• Ghusl is performed after ejaculation or menstrual cycle.
• Ghusl is also recommended on the Day of Eid.
• It is also recommended to perform Ghusl on Friday for Jummah prayer as it is the Sunnah of our Holy Prophet.
• It is performed before wearing of Ihram (dressing that is assumed to carry out the rites of Hajj and Umrah).
• Muslims give Ghusl to the dead body before burying.
• It is performed after sexual interaction.
• It is also performed in the situation if one touches the dead body.

How many types of Ghusl?

Ghusl has been divided into several types depending upon the situation and is named according to that situation. Here are the types of Ghusl:

1. Ghusl Hayd
2. Ghusl Nifas
3. Ghusl Janabat
4. Ghusl Mayyit
5. Ghusl Mas-hil
6. Ghusl Istihada

These types are explained here:

1. What is Ghusl Hayd?
   A type of Ghusl that is performed after menstruation cycle is called Ghusl Hayd. It is obligatory for women.
   
2. What is Ghusl Nifas?
   It is also the type of Ghusl related with the women. They are required to perform it after vaginal discharge. It happens after delivery of a child. Almost it can happen for 6 weeks.
   
3. What is Ghusl Janabat?
   The type of Ghusl that becomes compulsory after sexual interaction with the wife or after ejaculation. It also becomes compulsory after night fall. This situation deals with the men.
   Keep one thing in mind that Ghusl becomes compulsory for both men and women after sexual interaction.
   
4. What is Ghusl Mayyit?
   It is the type of Ghusl that is performed on a dead body. A dead body is given Ghusl before he is buried. It is performed because we intend to make dead body physically pure.
   
5. What is Ghusl Mashil?
   It is the type of Ghusl that becomes compulsory for a person who touches dead body directly. Most of the people are unaware of this type of Ghusl and do not perform Ghusl after touching dead body.
   
6. What is Ghusl Istihada?
   It is also related to women. It is performed in situation of irregular bleeding. Women must attain physical purification right after bleeding.

How many Fardh acts are there in Ghusl?

There are three Fardh acts in Ghusl and these are:

1. Gargling three times.
2. Washing nose three times
3. Pouring water on the whole body.

If one misses any one of these Fardh acts, his Ghusl will not be completed and he will be considered impure physically. Learn the basics of Ghusl to perform it in the best way.

Ghusl will also be considered incomplete if you do not use pure water as body can only be cleaned with the fresh and pure water that was not used earlier.

Which type of water can be used for Ghusl?

Only fresh and pure water can be used for Ghusl because pure water can purify the body and can remove impurities. Water that is impure itself will make your body impure. Here are the kinds of water that can be used for Ghusl. These are also recommended by our Islam.

• Water from canal, river and Sea
• Water from spring
• Rain water
• Water taken from well
• Water from a tank or pond
• Water from glaciers

If you suppose you can perform Ghusl with the impure water then you are wrong. Body can only be purified with the kinds of water discussed above.

What kind of water is not suitable for Ghusl?

Ghusl can also not be accepted with the water obtained from following sources:

• Water obtained from fruits
• Water obtained from vegetables
• Water used one time cannot be used for Ghusl

How to perform Ghusl?

A Muslim must learn how to perform Ghusl, otherwise his worships will not be accepted by Almighty Allah. He only accepts the worships performed with purified body and performed on the pure places with pure intentions.

Here is the complete guide to perform Ghusl that is also the Sunnah way to perform Ghusl:

1. Make intention to purify your body:
   Making intention is the highly recommended before acts depend on the intentions. Acts performed with good intentions are accepted in front of Allah but those performed without intentions are not accepted. Intentions can be made in your mind or with a loud voice.
   
   You are not required to recite any specific prayer before starting Ghusl. Just intend to perform Ghusl to achieve physical purification.
   
2. Find the private area to perform Ghusl:
   You cannot show private parts of your body to anyone as it is strictly forbidden in Islam and is a great sin. Find a private place to perform Ghusl like bathroom with door locked from inside.
   
   You can only perform Ghusl in the presence of your spouse. Performing alone is better. It helps you and others to protect from sins and to remain in limit.

3. Find clean water to perform Ghusl:
   As we have discussed earlier, you are required to perform Ghusl with the water that is pure. Find river water, sea water, well water or rain water to perform this act.

Water used once for any other purpose should not be used for Ghusl even if obtained from the resources discussed earlier.

What if you cannot find pure water?

If you cannot find pure water anywhere in your surroundings, you are supposed to perform Tayammum. It is carrying out Ghusl with pure clay.

4. Start Ghusl
   If you have fulfilled all the steps discussed above, you are required to continue towards the important rites of Ghusl. Start with the name of Allah.
   
5. Wash your hands:
   Wash your hands properly three times including wrists by putting fingers of one hand in the fingers of another hand to remove all the impurities. All the acts are repeated thrice while performing Ghusl. Remove all those things from your hands that become resistance to the flow of water on your hands.
   
6. Remove impurities from private parts:
   Remove blood or any kind of impurity from private parts after washing hands. You can also use left hand to wash private parts of your body. Make confirm that semen or vaginal discharge has been cleaned. If it sticks to your hands, wash your hands again.
   
7. Perform Wudu (ablution) in Sunnah way:
   The next step is to perform Wudu (ablution) as you perform it for prayer. Here are the steps of performing ablution according to the teachings of our Prophet:

• Wash hands three times
• Gargling three times
• Wash your nose three times
• Wash your face three times
• Wash your hands to the elbows thrice
• Move wet hands on hair and back side of neck one time
• Wash your feet properly three times

After ablution, wash the complete body three times properly to attain purification.

Another way to perform Ghusl:

You can perform Ghusl without performing ablution. Just fulfill the three Fardh acts of Ghusl for its completion. These three Fardh acts are:

1. Gargling three times
2. Washing nose three times by reaching water to the fragile bone of nose
3. Washing whole body properly three times

These are three Fardh acts of Ghusl. Performing these rites of Ghusl makes your Ghusl complete.

8. Sunnah way to wash complete body:
   After performing ablution, wash your body completely in complete Sunnah way. After gargling and washing your nose three times, pour the water on your body in the way as explained here:

• Wash your head and pour the water on your hair in the way that it reaches the roots of your hair.
• Rub your hair to make confirm that no any part of head should remain unwashed.
• Wash the right side of your body.
• Wash the right leg properly.
• Then completely wash left part of your body.
• Make sure that whole body is properly washed and water has reached all the parts of body. Wash the body in way that no impurity should left on the body.

After the completion of all the rites of Ghusl, you can make sure that you are physically pure to perform worship like to offer prayer. Worships performed with impure body cannot be accepted.

Ghusl as a part of faith:

Ghusl is the part of faith as it is the name of achieving purification. One can easily get close to Almighty Allah by removing all the impurities from his body and keeping his body fully pure. Ghusl is the best state to remain in. It is a form of cleanliness and cleanliness is the most essential part of faith.

Performing Ghusl on daily basis prevents a person from different diseases. When you perform Ghusl in the Sunnah way, you also achieve the state of Wudu. Perform Jummah and Eid prayers after performing Ghusl.