Ghusl

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I had already typed this in the pad so basically I am just throwing this away as a post here when I access this site, hehe. This topic is a basic important thing that a Muslim needs to know and to practice in his or her life. Basically I am posting here as a male because I am a male and male functions differently from female. So, for female please ask specific teachers for female and of course they should be female if there comes specific sensitive issues which only females could explain to female.

Ghusl basically means we are washing clean our physical body. It has both physical and spiritual significance though we look like washing our physical parts. Of course it must begin with an intention. We do everything with intention. The ghusl basically has several names for several different purposes. The form of ghusl is also a little bit different depending on the place where we perform it and the ways to perform it could be slightly different as according to orthodox and traditional schools of jurisprudence. Basically these are my experience. I perform this almost everyday even without any occurrences as to preserve the traditions within myself. Sometimes I call this as 'ammudim which means dipping if we are at a pool, a river or the sea.

The Purpose of Ghusl

One performs ghusl in order to free him from great occurrences. Among them for e.g the hadat janaba which is related to sexual intercourse or anything related to genitals that restraints one from the performance of worship or to enter places of worship like the mosque's prayer hall. For this, there are several things which cause one in the great occurrence states depending on the occurrences whether of man or woman.

Occurrences

Occurrences which obligate us to perform the ghusl would be...

1. Ejaculation of sperm.

2. After sexual intercourse for both male and female.

3. After menstruation for female known as haydh.

3. Female who deliver a baby where there is a state known as wiladat.

4. For female where there would be a state known as nifas after giving birth to the child.

4. Gaining sanity after drunk, intoxicated or recovering from insanity.

5. Reverting to Islam.

6. Death where the dead person needs help for this but the martyrs who were killed while protecting his or her faith are not required to be performed ghusl on his or her body.

The blood of the martyrs already performs the ghusl for the body. Related to martyrs, there are several different things too as how they are defined as martyrs which defines the way they are buried.

Recommendation

Ghusl is recommended for certain events....

1. Before Friday prayer service for males who are going to attend the prayer service in congregation.

2. After washing a dead person or after involved in funeral as in general.

3. Before 'Eids prayer service which are performed in the morning.

4. Before the drought prayer service to ask for rain.

5. Before the eclipse prayer service to seek protection.

6. When entering the holy city, Mecca.

7. When entering sacred areas for e.g mosque.

8. When entering the state of vow for e.g pilgrimage.

9. When standing on the 'Arafat hill.  

10. When making the welcoming circumambulation at the cubical building in the grand mosque in Mecca.

11. When making the farewell circumambulation at the cubical building before leaving Mecca.

12. When staying overnight in the Mudzalifa.  

13. While throwing pebble stones at the jamrat points during the pilgrimage season. 

Pillars of the Ghusl

1. Say the intention whether by mental or by speech does not matter as long as there is an intention.

2. Clean the body parts from anything which could hinder the water from reaching the skin for e.g dry paint sticking, make up and others.

3. Perform the ablution first.

4. Pour some water on the head and neck until it turns wet all over.

5. Pour the water from the right side of shoulder down.

6. Pour the water from the left side of shoulder down.

7. Rub every part of body as to make sure that water reaches every exposed part or hidden parts.

8. It is optional while performing ghusl for one to cover the 'awrat which refers to private parts of human body but strongly stressed as important.

9. It is optional to repeat everything three times.

Immersion

For the ghusl by jumping into the pool or water immersion, it is recommended to plunge into the water three times. Water immersion could not be performed in the water less than 230 liter or 52 gallons. This specific limited water measurement is only for a person! If one choose to do immersion, make sure that there is a river with water flowing, maybe at the sea or a large pool.

One may use soap. However, for certain conditions like the ghusl related to vow i.e pilgrimage, soap is forbidden. Usually I perform ghusl for daily prayer services from Subh, Dzuhr, 'Asr to Maghrib in the evening depending on the conditions, occurrences and where I am for e.g if I visited non-Muslim places of worship or other places which I consider as secular, I will perform the ghusl again before entering the state of prayer service or before entering the mosque. Usually if I travel or wandering around, I will bring with me a rucksack with prayer books, sunnah treatises, note books, towel, some plastic bag and hygienic stuffs because they are important.

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!