In Shariah, Gusl refers to pouring pure water over the whole body as described in hadith.

Throughout the Holy Quran, guidance is provided by Allah:

وَاِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُوۡا‌ؕ

“And if you are in the state of janabah (impurity), then take a bath and become very pure”.

Various types of Gusl and Bath

The three types of gusl are as follows:

First, there is the obligatory Gusl

Second Gusl masnoon (Muhammad’s best method)

The third option is the Mustahab Gusl (recommended).

Obligatory Gusl

Following are the cases when taking a bath is obligatory:

1. In the state of janabah (impurity), bathing is obligatory.
2. Following the woman’s menstrual cycle and postpartum bleeding
3. Semen emerged from the ovary.

Masnoon Gusl

In the following cases, bathing is Sunnah, the best way of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

1. Kitab-ul-jumma, according to Bukhari
2. Prayer for Eid (Ibn Abi Shaeba-tul-mussanif)
3. In the case of Hajj or Umrah, you must enter Ihram to perform them (Tirmazi, Abwaab-ul-Hajj).
4. As soon as Arafat fell for pilgrims (Ibn Abi Shaeba-tul-musanif)

Mustahab gusl (recommended)

For ghusl mustahabb to be obligatory, the following conditions must be met:

1. In a state of purity, a person becomes a Muslim
2. After recovering from insanity, someone who is sane
3. As soon as the corpse has been bathed
4. As part of Namaz-e-Istisqa (prayer calling for rain), ghusl is recommended.
5. It is recommended to pray ghusl during eclipses.

Essentials of Gusl

Gusl has three essential components

1_Pouring water into the mouth and spitting it out

2_Pouring water into the nose

3_Pouring water over the whole body

How to Gusl the Best

According to Ayesha Siddiqah, ul-Mu’mineen (peace be upon him), when performing Gusl to purify himself for the Day of Judgment, Allah’s Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to wash both hands first. When performing istanja (washing away after urinating or defecating), he used his right hand to pour water over his left hand. Also Read

A Step-by-Step Guide to the Method of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

1. The act of intending
2. Beginning with Bismillah
3. Hands should be washed up to the wrists
4. Impurities on the body should be washed
5. No matter whether he is impure or not, perform istanja (to wash away after urinating or defecating)
6. Ablution is then performed as it is for prayers, the difference being that water is thrown deep into the mouth and the nose until it reaches the nasal bone.
7. Water should be washed off the foot at the end of bathing if there is a place where it collects
8. Three times, cleanse your body with water
9. Fill the head with water and start pouring it
10. From the right shoulder, pour water
11. Pour water on the whole body three times after pouring from the left shoulder.
12. After performing to wash, wash your feet if you still need to.

Women’s thick hair

It is unnecessary to open the hair of a woman taking a bath if the water reaches the roots of her head without her opening it.

As mentioned in a hadith Mubarak, Hazrat Umm-e-Salma asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) if she should open her ponytails for Gusl janabat. There is no need to pour more than three kilograms of water on your head or wash your whole body with water, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said. The Muslim community

NOTE: According to most jurists, untying the hair is mandatory if water cannot reach the tangled hair.