Purity in Islamic Jurisprudence (15)

Ritual Bath (Ghusl): Purification from Major Ritual Impurity (Hadath Akbar)

Having concluded the discussion on wudu’, we now turn to another category of purification: the ritual bath, or ghusl. Linguistically, ghusl means washing; in jurisprudential terminology, it refers to washing the entire body with water, accompanied by the intention of seeking proximity to God (qurbah) and fulfilling His divine command. It is a devotional act that is obligatory in certain cases to remove major ritual impurity (hadath akbar) and recommended in others.

Jurisprudential Criteria and Legal Rulings

A) Categories of Ghusl

In Islamic jurisprudence, ritual baths are divided into two main categories:

1. Obligatory (Wajib) Baths

Baths that become obligatory under specific legal conditions and serve as a condition of validity for certain acts of worship, such as daily prayers (salat) and circumambulation (tawaf). The most important of these are:

• Ghusl al-Janabah (ritual bath for major impurity)
• Ghusl al-Hayd (menstrual bath)
• Ghusl al-IstiHadah (bath for irregular bleeding)
• Ghusl al-Nifas (postnatal bath)
• Ghusl Mas-i Mayyit (bath for touching a corpse)
• Ghusl al-Mayyit (washing a deceased person)

2. Recommended (MustaHabb) Baths

Baths whose performance is recommended and heavily emphasised in Islamic traditions; these include:

• Ghusl al-Jum‘ah (Friday bath)
• Ghusl al-IHram (bath for entering ritual consecration)
• Ghusl Ziyarat al-Ma‘sumin (bath for visiting the shrines of the Infallibles, peace be upon them)
• Ghusl of the Grand Nights of Ramadan (Laylat al-Qadr) and certain other devotional occasions

B) Causes That Make Ghusl Obligatory

Ghusl becomes obligatory in the following circumstances:

1. Janabah (Major Ritual Impurity)

Janabah occurs through two channels:

1. a) Sexual intercourse;
2. b) Discharge of semen, whether during sleep or wakefulness, accompanied by sexual arousal or without it, in large or small quantities.

2. Hayd, IstiHadah, and Nifas

Certain types of blood discharged by women necessitate ghusl in accordance with jurisprudential criteria, each governed by its own specific rulings.

3. Touching a Corpse (Mas-i Mayyit)

Whenever an individual touches the body of a deceased person who has not yet received the ritual bath for the dead, ghusl mas-i mayyit becomes obligatory upon them, subject to the conditions established in jurisprudence.

4. Washing a Deceased Person (Ghusl al-Mayyit)

Washing a deceased Muslim is a communal obligation (wajib kifa‘i) incumbent upon the Muslim community.

Practical Notes and Differences in Edicts (Fatawa)

Ruling on the Discharge of Semen During Sleep or Wakefulness

If a fluid is discharged from the body and possesses the recognised indicators of semen – namely:

• It is expelled with a spurt/ejaculation,
• It is accompanied by sexual arousal,
• The body experiences a sense of relaxation or lethargy following its release, it carries the legal status of semen, making ghusl al-janabah obligatory.

However, if these indicators are absent, the ruling of semen does not apply unless the individual attains certainty that the fluid was indeed semen.

Do Recommended Baths Suffice in Place of Wudu’?

• Grand Ayatollahs Shaheed Khamenei and Makarem Shirazi: Recommended baths, such as the Friday bath, do not take the place of wudu’; therefore, to perform prayers, a separate wudu’ must be performed afterward.
• Grand Ayatollah Sistani: Established recommended baths in Islamic law, such as the Friday bath, suffice in place of wudu’, and one may perform prayers with that bath alone, though performing wudu’ afterward is a recommended precaution (iHtiyaṭ mustaHabb).

Method of Performing Ghusl

Ghusl is performed in two ways:

1. Sequential Ghusl (Ghusl Tartibi)
2. Submersion Ghusl (Ghusl Irtimasi)

 A) Sequential Ghusl (Ghusl Tartibi)

In sequential ghusl, the body is washed in the following specific order:

1. Washing the Head and Neck

The person first forms the intention (niyyah) for ghusl, then washes the entire head and neck. As a matter of obligatory precaution (iHtiyaṭ wajib), a portion of the surrounding neck and upper torso should also be washed along with the head and neck to ensure complete certainty that the entire area has been washed.

2. Washing the Right Side of the Body

Following that, the entire right half of the body -from below the neck down to the sole of the foot, including the right arm, right flank, and right leg- is washed.

3. Washing the Left Side of the Body

In the final stage, the entire left half of the body -from below the neck down to the sole of the foot, including the left arm, left flank, and left leg- is washed.

 B) Submersion Ghusl (Ghusl Irtimasi)

Submersion ghusl consists of an individual immersing their entire body in water all at once, or gradually in such a manner that the water eventually encompasses the entire body simultaneously.

• Condition of Validity: The essential condition for the validity of submersion ghusl is that water must reach all parts of the body and hair, and the location of the bath -such as a swimming pool, basin, or open body of water- must be large enough to accommodate complete immersion of the body.

Important Conditions and Rulings of Ghusl

Purity of the Body Prior to Ghusl

In sequential ghusl, it is not required for the entire body to be ritually pure prior to commencing the bath; rather, it is sufficient to cleanse each individual limb of any impurity (najasah) immediately before washing that specific limb during the sequence of the ghusl.

However, in submersion ghusl, the body must be ritually pure before entering the water, unless the water is of a nature that purifies and performs the ghusl concurrently.

Barriers to Water Penetration

Just like wudu’, the presence of any substance that prevents water from reaching the skin or hair renders the ghusl invalid; examples include:

• Nail polish
• Artificial nails
• Artificial eyelashes
• Thick adhesives
• Certain cosmetics and waterproof barriers

Consequently, these must be removed prior to performing ghusl.

The Ruling on Jabirah in Ghusl

If there is a jabirah (such as a bandage, cast, or unremovable medical covering) over a limb, a jabirah ghusl is performed. This means that instead of washing the affected area, one wipes over the jabirah itself, provided that the covering is of a conventional and acceptable proportion.

Frequently Asked Questions

A) Must one perform wudu’ after ghusl al-janabah?

No. Ghusl al-janabah alone suffices in place of wudu’, and an individual may offer prayers with that ghusl without needing to perform ablution.

 B) Is washing long hair obligatory in ghusl?

What is obligatory is ensuring that water reaches the scalp and the roots of the hair. However, in submersion ghusl, water must reach all the hair across the entire body.

 C) What should one do if they experience doubt during ghusl?

If a person doubts while washing the left side of the body whether they have properly washed the preceding parts, they must act in a manner that preserves the required sequence and ensures certainty that the disputed section has been correctly washed.

 D) Can a Muslim perform ghusl al-mayyit for his non-Muslim parent who has passed away?

No. Washing, shrouding, and ritually burying a non-Muslim deceased person is not obligatory upon a Muslim and lacks legal legitimacy. However, regarding the People of the Book (Ahl al-Kitab) and certain specific circumstances, distinct rulings are addressed in jurisprudential sources.

E) What should be done if the water supply is cut off midway through ghusl?

If a portion of the ghusl has been properly performed, once the water supply is restored, completing the remaining steps of the ghusl from that exact point is sufficient, and there is no need to restart the entire ghusl from the beginning.

 F) What is the ruling if multiple obligatory baths are incumbent upon a person?

If an individual has multiple obligatory baths -or a combination of obligatory and recommended baths- incumbent upon them, they may perform them all with a single ghusl with the intention of fulfilling all of them. Furthermore, according to the renowned scholarly view (mashhūr), intending even one of the obligatory baths will automatically suffice for all other obligatory baths as well.

Pedagogical, Ethical, and Spiritual Messages

1. Comprehensive Purification

Unlike wuḍū’, which is restricted to specific organs, ghusl encompasses the entire body, serving as a profound symbol of the total inner and outer cleansing and refinement of the human being.

2. Readiness for the Divine Presence

The sacred religion of Islam has prescribed ghusl for major acts of worship and following specific physical and spiritual states, ensuring that man approaches devotion and communion with the Creator in a state of heightened purity and preparedness.

3. Respect for the Beliefs and Rulings of Other Faiths

While firmly adhering to its own laws and doctrinal identity, Islam outlines specific rights and regulations concerning followers of other faiths. Accordingly, a Muslim is instructed to observe legal rulings when interacting with followers of other religions and to act strictly within the framework of divine directives.

• Note: Respecting followers of other faiths does not mean endorsing all of their beliefs; rather, it entails upholding human rights and observing the legal obligations that govern interactions with them.