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What Parts Of a Woman’s Body Need To Be Washed During Ghusl?

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Question:  I had taken a course on menses. It came up that it is good for a woman, in the ghusl, to pull back the clitoris to wash that area.

1) For years I did not know this, the right thing would be to assume my past Ghusls were valid, yes?
2) I was taught to clean the area for smegma, but if dead white skin ever remains in the clitoris, my ghusl is still valid yes?
3) When I learned and the first time I cleaned the clitoris for dead skin it was a little stuck together, should I worry about my past Ghusls?

Answer: In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

Assalam’aleykum, I pray this finds you in the best of states.

Jazakum Allah khayr for your question!

1-Only the external part of the vagina needs to be washed because it is akin to the mouth. As for the internal part of the vagina, it does not need to be washed because it is akin to the throat. In addition to this, a woman should not and does not need to put her fingers in her vagina to perform a valid ritual bath. [Ibn Abidin; Radd Al-Muhtar]

The external part of the vagina is defined as what can be seen from it when a woman is standing or sitting. As for the internal part, it can only be seen when a woman is reclining on something. [Ibn Abidin; Radd Al-Muhtar]

2-Dead skin, like any other type of dirt on the body or under the nails, does not prevent the validity of your washing because the origin of the dead skin is from the body. [Tahtawi; Maraqi Al-Falah’s gloss] This would include smegma. Thus you do not have to worry about past ghusls during which you did not fully remove this substance.

And Allah knows best.

I hope that the above answers your question. If something is unclear please do not hesitate to ask again.

May Allah Most High grant you the best of this world and the next. Please keep us in your du’as!

Wassalam

[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

How Is the Washing Achieved During the Ritual Bath?

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Question: Assalamualikum,
1. In regards to Ghusl, does water have to flow directly from the showerhead onto each part of the body naturally, or can one spread the water with hands to ensure all the body parts are encompassed with water?

2. Does one have to wash in between the buttocks for ghusl to be valid?

3. When washing the full body three times in Ghusl, does one have to wash the inside of navel, insides of ears, etc, three separate times also?

Answer:

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

Assalam’aleykum, I pray this finds you in the best of states.

Jazakum Allah khayr for your question!

1. To achieve the washing of the body it is enough to use one’s hands to spread the water on the body because what is needed is for pure water to flow on the skin. [Lubab]

2. Yes one has to wash the area of the body between the buttocks at least one time for the ritual bath to be valid because all of the body need to be washed during a ritual bath. [Nur al-Idah]

3. To wash the body fully three times is from the sunna of the ritual bath. [Nur al-Idah]

We can mention that, when one is under a shower or using a tap, several washings are happening successively on the washed limb for each moment spent under this flowing water. To clarify we could say that letting one’s hand under the tap water for three seconds would amount to having washed this hand three times. [This understanding is based on Shaykh Faraz Rabbani’s lessons on Hanafi Fiqh]

And Allah knows best.

I hope that the above answers your question. If something is unclear please do not hesitate to ask again.

May Allah Most High grant you the best of this world and the next. Please keep us in your du’as!

Wassalam

[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Washing of Whole Mouth During Ghusl

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Question: Must I move my detached gums in the ritual bath (ghusl) in order for the water to reach underneath?

Answer: 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

You are not obliged to move your detached gums in the ritual bath (ghusl) in order for the water to reach underneath [Tahtawi/Shurunbulali, Hashiyat Maraqi al-Falah].

Water Reaches

Even though you may assume that water does not reach underneath your gums – the basis is that it does. Water is naturally thin and permeating. Since this is the basis of understanding one would need reasonable surety to assume otherwise [Ibid.].

Due to this, you should ignore any assumptions that the water does not reach. Merely swish the water around your mouth and consider that integral complete.

Hope this helps.

Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences

Rulings on Vaginal Discharge

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Question: Is it necessary to do ghusl after vaginal discharge? What are the rulings on vaginal discharge in the Hanafi School? 
Answer:
Assalāmu ‘alaykum Dear Sister in Faith,
The release of Leukorrhea, more commonly know as vaginal discharge, is a normal, healthy aspect of a women’s physiology. In fact, women who suffer from vaginal dryness know just how great of a blessing it is.
Leukorrhea can be white, yellow, or green. Discolored discharge that is accompanied by an odor, irritation, itching, pain, or inflammation is abnormal and is usually a sign of infection.
However, the regular whitish or yellowish discharge that a woman experiences on a daily basis is pure in accordance with the sounder view in the Hanafi School [Tahtawi, Hashiya on Maraqi al Falah].
It is not necessary to remove it from one’s clothing before prayer. Its release would not necessitate ghusl nor wudu.
[Ustadha] Iman Badawi

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Facing the Qibla During a Ritual Bath

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Question: What is the ruling of facing the Qibla during a ritual bath? What does one do if their bath area faces the Qibla?

Answer: 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “When you go to relieve yourselves, do not face the Qibla nor turn your backs to it; rather face the east or the west.” Abu Ayyub (the narrator) said, ‘We later came to Syria and found its washrooms built in the direction of the Qibla so we turn away slightly and sought Allah’s forgiveness” [Bukhari].

The Ruling

It is prohibitively disliked to face or turn one’s back to the Qibla while one’s nakedness (awra) is exposed. If, however, one is bathing and their nakedness is covered it is allowed to face the Qibla; although it is still best to turn away from the Qibla slightly [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar].

If one’s bath or toilet faces the direction of the Qibla or if their back is directly facing the Qibla, it is recommended to slightly turn away and this will absolve them from the prohibition [Ibid].

Hope this helps.

Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

 

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences

Purification in Islam: A Comprehensive Reader

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Purification is Half of Faith

SeekersGuidance Readers provide the seeker with a purposely curated list of articles, answers and other content on a particular topic. Proper purification of oneself is essential in performing prayer and one of the fundamentals elements to practice Islam.  One should also strive for spiritual purification. Al-Ghazali explains the ḥadith “Purification is half of faith,” and reminds readers that, for the earliest Muslims, inner purification was much more important than outer purification.

Questions and Answers on Purification

  1. Is Ghusl (Purification Bath) Required Before Prayer if I Drink Alcohol or Eat Pork?
  2. Purification & Prayer During Labor
  3. Are One’s Prayer and Purification Valid If You Have Tooth Fillings?
  4. What are the Rewards of Sleeping in a State of Ritual Purity?
  5. Are Acts of Worship Valid If Not Performed in a State of Purity?
  6. Household Cats & Rulings Related to Purity and Filth
  7. Dog Saliva, Dog Hair, and How to Purify Impurities
  8. Is It Problematic to Use Soap During the Ritual Bath?
  9. How Do I Wash My Clothes Properly to Ensure That Filth Doesn’t Spread?
  10. Can I Pray in a State of Ritual Impurity if There Is not enough Time To Perform the Ritual Bath?
  11. Does a Wet Mop Used on a Bathroom Floor Spread Filth?

Articles on Purification

  1. Forget Others, Begin Purifying Yourself First
  2. Bringing Barakah Into Your Wealth and Life
  3. Accepting Wealth from a Person Whose Wealth is Predominantly Unlawful
  4. Income From a Business Started With Haram Wealth
  5. True Wealth
  6. Cheating the Government Out of Welfare Money
  7. Blessed Is The Wealth That’s Given, and That Which Remains
  8. The Story of Abdul Razzaq and Abdul Ghani
  9. Justice as Sadaqa (Charity)
  10. Advice for Sufferers of Extreme Waswasa or OCD in Issues of Purification
  11. How to Handle Constant Waswasa in Acts of Purification and Worship
  12. How Spiritual Transformation Is Achieved
  13. How Can I Purify My Heart? A Reader
  14. Reflections on Purification of the Heart – Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil
  15. Finding God Through The Chains Of Pornography Addiction
  16. The Accessible Conspectus: Purification & Water by Mufti Musa Furber
  17. Video: Purification of the Heart – Hamza Yusuf
  18. Purification Issues: Washing Limbs & Used Water

Courses Relating to Purification

Islamic Studies Curriculum

Trained Scholars. Always free.

 

Videos on Purification

 

The Possibility of Having to Make Ghusl

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Question: If one thinks that one had a wet dream some days ago and is not sure, what should one do?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

If one is not 100% sure whether or not one had a wet dream, one simply assumes that one did not, and there is no ghusl (ritual bath) needed.

If one knows that one did indeed have a wet dream, but one is not sure when it happened, then one assumes the latest possible time.

For example, Ahmad visits his parents’ house on the weekend, goes to university on Monday, and returns back on Friday evening. When he arrives in the room that he was staying in, he remembers that he had a wet dream and had to make ghusl but did not.

Now, he was there last Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday night, and left at 6 am in the morning. The first possible time that he could have had a wet dream was Friday night. But because he is not sure, he should assume that happened on Sunday morning before he woke up.

He must now make up the prayers that he prayed without making ghusl from Monday to the Friday that he returned to his parents’ house (Reliance of the Traveller, Ibn Naqib al Misri).

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language

Making The Intention For Ghusl

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Question: Does one need an intention in ghusl if there is more than one cause for the obligation of the ghusl?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

In the Hanafi school, the intention of the ritual bath (ghusl) is an emphasized sunna and should not be left [Tahtawi/Shurunbulali, Hashiyat Maraqi al-Falah].

However, due to the purport of the texts and the nature of the ghusl being a means and not an end, the intention is not a condition for validity – even though it is a condition in order to attain the reward of the actions [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah].

This ruling applies regardless of the factor which obligated the ghusl. Whether it be the emission of sperm or the ending of menstruation, one ghusl suffices all of the above – even if one did not make an intention.

Hope this helps.

Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences

What Should I Do if I Fear That My Prayer and Ghusl are Not Accepted?

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Question: What should I do if I fear that my prayer and ghusl are not accepted?
Answer: 
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
Your fear of your deeds not being accepted is a good feeling to have as it shows humility and an acknowledgment of our shortcomings in worshipping Allah Most High as He deserves to be worshipped.
However, fear of this nature can become excessive and therefore detrimental to a person. Consider the following steps to determine whether your fear is good or excessive.
Validity of Actions
Being afraid that one’s actions are not accepted because they don’t meet the requirements of validity is problematic for many reasons. The believer is commanded to seek knowledge.
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Seeking knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim” [Ibn Majah].
The knowledge referred to in this narration is a level of knowledge by which one can fulfill their religious obligations in a correct and sound manner [Birgivi, al-Tariqa al-Muhammadiyya].

For this reason, the Believer has no right to merely fear that their deeds are invalid, rather they are obliged to make their actions valid in accordance with the sound teachings of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace).

Misgiving and Doubts (Waswasa)
If one’s fear is merely due to baseless doubts, what-ifs, and conjectures about their deeds they must abandon such doubts and act only on the basis of reasonable surety and certainty.
For the one who is constantly in doubt abandoning caution is often the best cure.
“As for the one who is often inflicted with misgivings (waswasa), it is necessary for them to sever the cause of the waswasa and not to give it any consideration. This is because it is the doing of Shaytan and we have been commanded to oppose him” [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar].
Allah Most High tells us, “…for ˹it is˺ He ˹Who has chosen you, and laid upon you no hardship in the religion…” [Qur’an; 22:78].
If you find yourself in undue hardship in the religion, it is a sign that something is wrong and you should consult a local scholar regarding the issue.
Fear of Acceptance

It is a good quality for the Believer to have a level of fear in regard to their deeds not being accepted. This fear stems from our belief that no matter what we do of righteous works, Allah Most High deserves greater than that. However, if this fear becomes excessive, it may lead one to despair.It is sufficient as a consolation that Allah Most High says, “Say, ˹O Prophet, that Allah says,˺ “O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins. He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [Qur’an; 39:53].

For this reason, it is important for the Believer to have both hope and fear. We hope that Allah, out of His Divine Mercy, accepts our deeds, however, we fear that our deeds were deficient and could have been performed better, with more presence of heart or more sincerity etc…

This brings us to one last point which is that the Believer must have a good opinion of Allah Most High.

Having a Good Opinion of Allah

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) narrates that Allah Most High says, “I am according to My slave’s opinion of Me; So let them think of Me as they wish…” [Tabarani].

In another narration, Allah Most High says, “I am according to My slaves’ opinion of Me. If they think of Me in a good way, then they have it (i.e. good) and if they think of Me in a bad way, they have it (i.e. bad)” [Ahmad].

Summary

Remind yourself that Allah Most High wants you to succeed and He wants to show you His mercy. The fact that you are concerned about your faith shows that He has concern for you. Had He not cared about you, He would have made your concern about otherworldly things.

Strive to learn your faith, start with the basic foundation of knowledge regarding Islamic beliefs, Worships, and Spirituality, and strive to implement what you learn.

Whenever you slip, turn back to Allah Most High, ask for forgiveness, and return to striving.

May Allah grant you the success of this life and the next and bless you with that which only He can give.

Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh]Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences

When Does One Need to Perform Ghusl From a Wet Dream?

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Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question: When does one need to perform ghusl from a wet dream?

Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Hope this finds you in the best of faith

Noticing Wetness When Awaking

If you wake up and notice wetness you must perform ghusl regardless of whether you saw any dreams or not. If you have a dream but do not see any wetness when awaking ghusl is not necessary. The basis in this matter is the wetness, not the dream.

When Does A State of Impurity Occur?

The ghusl will only be necessary when semen comes out to the visible surface of the private part. Thus, you are not obliged to push out the semen. If it has not come out to the surface you are still pure and only when it comes out fully will you need to perform ghusl.

Applying Caution

Although it is not obligatory to check oneself for impurity when awaking a quick glance would be a cautious stance for one who often has nocturnal emissions. If nothing is visible when you are not in a state of impurity.

[Reference: Maraqi al-Falah; Hashiyah Ibn Abidin]

May Allah bless you

Allahu A’alam

[Shaykh] Yusuf WeltchDre

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences.