Learn Ghusl

When is ghusl required?

Only in the situations below. Outside of these, wudhu is what is needed before prayer.

• After sexual intimacy or a wet dream

  A state called janābah. Ghusl is required before prayer can be performed again. This applies to both husband and wife, and to a wet dream whether or not one recalls it.

  Quran

  يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَـٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَـٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

  O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janābah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allāh does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful.

• At the end of menstruation

  When a monthly period finishes, ghusl is performed before returning to prayer and fasting. There is nothing to make up for the prayers missed during the period itself.

  Hadith

  Narrated by `Aisha

  A woman asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the bath which is taken after finishing from the menses. The Prophet (ﷺ) told her what to do and said, "Purify yourself with a piece of cloth scented with musk." The woman asked, "How shall I purify myself with it?" He said, "Subhan Allah! Purify yourself (with it)." I pulled her to myself and said, "Rub the place soiled with blood with it

  ▸Show original Arabic

  حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ مَنْصُورِ ابْنِ صَفِيَّةَ، عَنْ أُمِّهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ امْرَأَةً، سَأَلَتِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ غُسْلِهَا مِنَ الْمَحِيضِ، فَأَمَرَهَا كَيْفَ تَغْتَسِلُ قَالَ ‏"‏ خُذِي فِرْصَةً مِنْ مِسْكٍ فَتَطَهَّرِي بِهَا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَتْ كَيْفَ أَتَطَهَّرُ قَالَ ‏"‏ تَطَهَّرِي بِهَا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَتْ كَيْفَ قَالَ ‏"‏ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ تَطَهَّرِي ‏"‏‏.‏ فَاجْتَبَذْتُهَا إِلَىَّ فَقُلْتُ تَتَبَّعِي بِهَا أَثَرَ الدَّمِ‏.‏

• At the end of post-childbirth bleeding

  Known as nifās. Ghusl is performed once the bleeding stops, in the same way as after menstruation.

  Hadith

  Narrated by `Aisha

  A woman asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the bath which is taken after finishing from the menses. The Prophet (ﷺ) told her what to do and said, "Purify yourself with a piece of cloth scented with musk." The woman asked, "How shall I purify myself with it?" He said, "Subhan Allah! Purify yourself (with it)." I pulled her to myself and said, "Rub the place soiled with blood with it

  ▸Show original Arabic

  حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ مَنْصُورِ ابْنِ صَفِيَّةَ، عَنْ أُمِّهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ امْرَأَةً، سَأَلَتِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ غُسْلِهَا مِنَ الْمَحِيضِ، فَأَمَرَهَا كَيْفَ تَغْتَسِلُ قَالَ ‏"‏ خُذِي فِرْصَةً مِنْ مِسْكٍ فَتَطَهَّرِي بِهَا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَتْ كَيْفَ أَتَطَهَّرُ قَالَ ‏"‏ تَطَهَّرِي بِهَا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَتْ كَيْفَ قَالَ ‏"‏ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ تَطَهَّرِي ‏"‏‏.‏ فَاجْتَبَذْتُهَا إِلَىَّ فَقُلْتُ تَتَبَّعِي بِهَا أَثَرَ الدَّمِ‏.‏

What the labels mean

How to perform it

The essential requirement is that water reaches every part of the body. The steps below follow the way the Prophet ﷺ performed it, as described by ‘Aisha and by Maymunah.

1. 01

   Intention (niyyah)

   Pillarركن

   Intend in your heart that you are performing ghusl to lift the state of impurity. Nothing is said aloud.

   It is the intention that makes this an act of worship rather than an ordinary wash.

   Evidence

   Hadith

   Narrated by 'Umar bin Al-Khattab

   I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for

   ▸Show original Arabic

   حَدَّثَنَا الْحُمَيْدِيُّ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ ، قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التَّيْمِيُّ ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنَ وَقَّاصٍ اللَّيْثِيَّ ، يَقُولُ : سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ، قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، يَقُولُ : " إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى دُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوْ إِلَى امْرَأَةٍ يَنْكِحُهَا، فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِ

   Common mistakes

   • Reciting the intention aloud as a formula. It belongs in the heart.
2. 02

   Wash the hands

   Sunnahسنة

   Begin by washing both hands two or three times.

   Agreed upon by all four schools

   Evidence

   Hadith

   Narrated by Maimuna

   Water was placed for the ablution of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) after Janaba. He poured water with his right hand over his left twice or thrice and then washed his private parts and rubbed his hand on the earth or on a wall twice or thrice and then rinsed his mouth, washed his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out and then washed his face and forearms and poured water over his head and washed his body. Then he shifted from that place and washed his feet. I brought a piece of cloth, but he did not take it and removed the traces of water from his body with his hand

   ▸Show original Arabic

   حَدَّثَنَا يُوسُفُ بْنُ عِيسَى، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ سَالِمٍ، عَنْ كُرَيْبٍ، مَوْلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنْ مَيْمُونَةَ، قَالَتْ وَضَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَضُوءًا لِجَنَابَةٍ فَأَكْفَأَ بِيَمِينِهِ عَلَى شِمَالِهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ، أَوْ ثَلاَثًا، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ فَرْجَهُ، ثُمَّ ضَرَبَ يَدَهُ بِالأَرْضِ ـ أَوِ الْحَائِطِ ـ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا، ثُمَّ مَضْمَضَ وَاسْتَنْشَقَ، وَغَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ وَذِرَاعَيْهِ، ثُمَّ أَفَاضَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ الْمَاءَ، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ جَسَدَهُ، ثُمَّ تَنَحَّى فَغَسَلَ رِجْلَيْهِ‏.‏ قَالَتْ فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِخِرْقَةٍ، فَلَمْ يُرِدْهَا، فَجَعَلَ يَنْفُضُ بِيَدِهِ‏.‏

3. 03

   Wash the private parts

   Sunnahسنة

   Wash the private parts with the left hand, removing anything on the body, then wash that hand.

   Agreed upon by all four schools

   Evidence

   Hadith

   Narrated by Maimuna

   Water was placed for the ablution of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) after Janaba. He poured water with his right hand over his left twice or thrice and then washed his private parts and rubbed his hand on the earth or on a wall twice or thrice and then rinsed his mouth, washed his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out and then washed his face and forearms and poured water over his head and washed his body. Then he shifted from that place and washed his feet. I brought a piece of cloth, but he did not take it and removed the traces of water from his body with his hand

   ▸Show original Arabic

   حَدَّثَنَا يُوسُفُ بْنُ عِيسَى، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ سَالِمٍ، عَنْ كُرَيْبٍ، مَوْلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنْ مَيْمُونَةَ، قَالَتْ وَضَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَضُوءًا لِجَنَابَةٍ فَأَكْفَأَ بِيَمِينِهِ عَلَى شِمَالِهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ، أَوْ ثَلاَثًا، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ فَرْجَهُ، ثُمَّ ضَرَبَ يَدَهُ بِالأَرْضِ ـ أَوِ الْحَائِطِ ـ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا، ثُمَّ مَضْمَضَ وَاسْتَنْشَقَ، وَغَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ وَذِرَاعَيْهِ، ثُمَّ أَفَاضَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ الْمَاءَ، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ جَسَدَهُ، ثُمَّ تَنَحَّى فَغَسَلَ رِجْلَيْهِ‏.‏ قَالَتْ فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِخِرْقَةٍ، فَلَمْ يُرِدْهَا، فَجَعَلَ يَنْفُضُ بِيَدِهِ‏.‏

4. 04

   Perform wudhu

   Sunnahسنة

   Perform wudhu as you would for prayer. Many perform it fully here and leave the feet until the end.

   Both descriptions of the Prophet’s ﷺ ghusl include a full wudhu before the washing itself.

   Evidence

   Hadith

   Narrated by `Aisha

   Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) took a bath after Janaba he started by washing his hands and then performed ablution like that for the prayer. After that he would put his fingers in water and move the roots of his hair with them, and then pour three handfuls of water over his head and then pour water all over his body

   ▸Show original Arabic

   حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ إِذَا اغْتَسَلَ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ بَدَأَ فَغَسَلَ يَدَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يَتَوَضَّأُ كَمَا يَتَوَضَّأُ لِلصَّلاَةِ، ثُمَّ يُدْخِلُ أَصَابِعَهُ فِي الْمَاءِ، فَيُخَلِّلُ بِهَا أُصُولَ شَعَرِهِ ثُمَّ يَصُبُّ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ ثَلاَثَ غُرَفٍ بِيَدَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يُفِيضُ الْمَاءَ عَلَى جِلْدِهِ كُلِّهِ‏.‏

5. 05

   Wet the roots of the hair

   Obligatoryواجب

   Work water into the hair with the fingers until it reaches the scalp. Water must reach the roots, not only the surface of the hair.

   This is the step most often missed, and it is the one the narrations single out.

   Agreed upon by all four schools

   Evidence

   Hadith

   Narrated by `Aisha

   Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) took a bath after Janaba he started by washing his hands and then performed ablution like that for the prayer. After that he would put his fingers in water and move the roots of his hair with them, and then pour three handfuls of water over his head and then pour water all over his body

   ▸Show original Arabic

   حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ إِذَا اغْتَسَلَ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ بَدَأَ فَغَسَلَ يَدَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يَتَوَضَّأُ كَمَا يَتَوَضَّأُ لِلصَّلاَةِ، ثُمَّ يُدْخِلُ أَصَابِعَهُ فِي الْمَاءِ، فَيُخَلِّلُ بِهَا أُصُولَ شَعَرِهِ ثُمَّ يَصُبُّ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ ثَلاَثَ غُرَفٍ بِيَدَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يُفِيضُ الْمَاءَ عَلَى جِلْدِهِ كُلِّهِ‏.‏

   Common mistakes

   • Wetting only the outside of the hair. The water must reach the scalp beneath it.
6. 06

   Pour water over the head three times

   Sunnahسنة

   Pour three handfuls of water over the head, so it runs down through the hair.

   Agreed upon by all four schools

   Evidence

   Hadith

   Narrated by `Aisha

   Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) took a bath after Janaba he started by washing his hands and then performed ablution like that for the prayer. After that he would put his fingers in water and move the roots of his hair with them, and then pour three handfuls of water over his head and then pour water all over his body

   ▸Show original Arabic

   حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ إِذَا اغْتَسَلَ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ بَدَأَ فَغَسَلَ يَدَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يَتَوَضَّأُ كَمَا يَتَوَضَّأُ لِلصَّلاَةِ، ثُمَّ يُدْخِلُ أَصَابِعَهُ فِي الْمَاءِ، فَيُخَلِّلُ بِهَا أُصُولَ شَعَرِهِ ثُمَّ يَصُبُّ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ ثَلاَثَ غُرَفٍ بِيَدَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يُفِيضُ الْمَاءَ عَلَى جِلْدِهِ كُلِّهِ‏.‏

7. 07

   Wash the whole body

   Pillarركن

   Pour water over the rest of the body until every part is wet — the right side, then the left. Nothing may be left dry.

   This is the act itself. Everything before it is preparation; this is what the Quran commands when it says to purify yourselves.

   Agreed upon by all four schools

   Evidence

   Quran

   يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَـٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَـٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

   O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janābah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allāh does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful.

   Hadith

   Narrated by `Aisha

   Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) took a bath after Janaba he started by washing his hands and then performed ablution like that for the prayer. After that he would put his fingers in water and move the roots of his hair with them, and then pour three handfuls of water over his head and then pour water all over his body

   ▸Show original Arabic

   حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ إِذَا اغْتَسَلَ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ بَدَأَ فَغَسَلَ يَدَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يَتَوَضَّأُ كَمَا يَتَوَضَّأُ لِلصَّلاَةِ، ثُمَّ يُدْخِلُ أَصَابِعَهُ فِي الْمَاءِ، فَيُخَلِّلُ بِهَا أُصُولَ شَعَرِهِ ثُمَّ يَصُبُّ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ ثَلاَثَ غُرَفٍ بِيَدَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يُفِيضُ الْمَاءَ عَلَى جِلْدِهِ كُلِّهِ‏.‏

   Common mistakes

   • Leaving the navel, behind the ears, under the arms, or between the toes dry.
   • Forgetting that anything blocking water from the skin — nail polish, wax, thick oil — must be removed first.
8. 08

   Wash the feet

   Sunnahسنة

   If you left the feet out of the earlier wudhu, wash them now, after moving aside from where you were standing.

   Evidence

   Hadith

   Narrated by Maimuna

   Water was placed for the ablution of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) after Janaba. He poured water with his right hand over his left twice or thrice and then washed his private parts and rubbed his hand on the earth or on a wall twice or thrice and then rinsed his mouth, washed his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out and then washed his face and forearms and poured water over his head and washed his body. Then he shifted from that place and washed his feet. I brought a piece of cloth, but he did not take it and removed the traces of water from his body with his hand

   ▸Show original Arabic

   حَدَّثَنَا يُوسُفُ بْنُ عِيسَى، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ سَالِمٍ، عَنْ كُرَيْبٍ، مَوْلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنْ مَيْمُونَةَ، قَالَتْ وَضَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَضُوءًا لِجَنَابَةٍ فَأَكْفَأَ بِيَمِينِهِ عَلَى شِمَالِهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ، أَوْ ثَلاَثًا، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ فَرْجَهُ، ثُمَّ ضَرَبَ يَدَهُ بِالأَرْضِ ـ أَوِ الْحَائِطِ ـ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا، ثُمَّ مَضْمَضَ وَاسْتَنْشَقَ، وَغَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ وَذِرَاعَيْهِ، ثُمَّ أَفَاضَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ الْمَاءَ، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ جَسَدَهُ، ثُمَّ تَنَحَّى فَغَسَلَ رِجْلَيْهِ‏.‏ قَالَتْ فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِخِرْقَةٍ، فَلَمْ يُرِدْهَا، فَجَعَلَ يَنْفُضُ بِيَدِهِ‏.‏

Scholarly differences

The steps above follow one valid, widely accepted method. On some points the four Sunni schools reached different conclusions. All are accepted positions within mainstream Sunni scholarship — none is presented here as correct and the others wrong. This section is optional reading.

These positions are widely reported in the standard fiqh literature. Sabeel has not yet cleared a primary citation for each one through its publication policy, so they are presented as a summary of accepted scholarly positions rather than as directly cited evidence. For anything depending on your own circumstances, please ask a qualified local scholar or imam.

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