By: Allamah Sayyid Sa'eed Akhtar Rizvi
1. Seven kinds of ghusl are wajib
(1) Janabat, (2) Haiz, (3) Nifas. (4) Istihaza (5) Mayyit, (6) Mass al-Maiyit. and (7) The ghusl of nadhar, qasam or ‘ahd
2. How to do ghusl
There are two ways of doing ghusl: (1) Tartibi and (2) Irtimasi.
Ghusl tartibi
In this way of ghusl, the body is washed in three stages. First, the head down to the chamber-bone is washed including the face and neck; second, the right side of the body is washed from the shoulders down to the feet; third the left side of the body is washed likewise. This ghusl is preferable, even if you are bathing in a pool or river or sea. In a bath-room no method can be used other than the tartibi ghusl.
Ghusl Irtimasi
It can be done in pools or rivers only. In it the whole body is immersed in the water at once after the niyyah, not gradually.
3. Conditions of ghusl:
All the conditions of wudhu (mentioned in lesson No. 20) apply to the ghusl also, except conditions No: 5, 7, 8. 12 and 13.
The difference in these conditions are as follows:
5. The whole body must be tahir (clean);
7. Tartib is necessary in ghusl tartibi only. In ghusl irtimasi there is no tartib.
8. There is no muwalat in ghusl tartibi. It means that if you wash your head then you go out and come again after some time and wash your right side and then left side, your ghusl is correct.
12. There is no fixed law as how should you wash the body. If you maintain the tartib, i.e. if you wash your head first, then the right side, then the left side, It is enough. There is no rule that you should begin the washing of head, for example, from the upper side and then come down; or wash the right side, for example, from shoulder and then come down to the foot. You may begin from the foot and go above up to the shoulder.
13. There is no masah (wiping) in ghusl.
Ghusl of Janabat
1. When is it required?
There are two things which cause "janabat" and it is wajib to do ghusl of janabat after them:-
(a) Discharge of semen in sleep or while awake;
(b) Sexual intercourse. (both parties become junub).
2. For which Purpose?
Ghusl is wajib for all the things for which wudhu is required. Also, it is wajib to validate a sawm (fast), as will be explained later.
3. Things which are forbidden before performing Ghusl janabat:
The following things are haraam if a person has to do GhusI janabat: (a) Reciting even a single verse from those Surahs in which sajdah is wajib; Touching the writing of the Qur’an or the names of Allah, the Prophets, or the Imams (in any script}: (c) Entering any mosque. (If necessary, he/she may pass through the mosque without stopping for a single second). But so far as the Mosque of the Prophet, at Medina and Masjid al-Haram, at Mecca, are concerned, even passing through them is not allowed. (d) Putting anything into a mosque even from outside; and entering into a mosque to take out anything.
Note 1. The shrines of Imams are like the mosques in every detail.
4. Things which are makruh in the janabat:
For a person who has to do ghusl janabat, it is makruh to (1) read Quran more than seven ayats. (This applies to the Surahs in which no sajdah is wajib); (2) touch the Quran (not the writing, which will be haram); (3) take a Quran or carry it from one place to other, even without touching it.
Ghusl of haidh and nifas
(1) Haidh
"Haidh" means "menstruation" generally known as monthly course' or 'period'. Every adult and healthy woman has her periods regularly. Shari’ah has laid down some rules for this period, a summary of which is given here:
1. Any blood seen before completion of 9 years or after 50 years of age is not "haidh", It is called 'istihadha', rules of which will be explained later on.
2. Duration of "haidh" is not less than 3 and not more than 10 days. Blood which comes for less than 3 days, or which comes after 10 days, is called 'istihadha'.
3. There are detailed rules concerning woman which are based on whether in condition of haidh she has regular date and/or number of days or not; and whether she is having her period for the first time, or whether she has forgotten her date and number of days.
But it is not possible to give all the details in this small booklet.
(2) Nifas
The bleeding after child birth is called nifas. If blood appears before the delivery is not nifas; it is istihadha.
The bleeding after 10 days from delivery is not nifas; it is istihadha. But there is no minimum time for nifas. Even if it stops 5 minutes or less after delivery, it is nifas.
(3) Things which are haram in haidh and nifas
1. All the things which are haram in the condition of janabat, are haram in the condition of haidh and nifas, before doing the ghusl. Likewise, all the things which are makruh in janabat are makruh in haidh and nifas also.
2. In addition, it is haraam to give divorce to a woman in the period of haidh or nifas. Some other things are also haraam in these periods, but it is not the place to go into details.
4. The woman during haidh or nifas is exempted from prayers, and every such 'ibadat' which requires ghusl, wudhu or tayammum. But she may recite du’a etc, (without touching the writings of the Qur’an or the names of Allah, the Prophets or the Imams, which is haram for her as mentioned earlier). She is not required to pray qadha of the prayers left during the period of haidh and nifas.
5. A woman in haidh or nifas cannot fast; but she must fast its qadha after that period.
Istihadha
The blood which is not haidh or nifas is called istihadha. lstihadha has been divided into 3 categories:
1. Istihadha qalila
If the blood does not penetrate the cotton-pad used for protection, it is called "istihadha qalila" (minor istihadha).
There is no ghusl for this category of istihadha; but she must do wudhu for every prayer. She is not allowed to pray two prayers with one wudhu.
2. Istihadha mutawassita
If the blood penetrates the cotton-pad but does not exceed it, it is called "istihadha mutawassita" (medium istihadha).
She should do one wudhu for every prayer and one ghusl daily. For example, if she had seen this istihadha before Zuhr, she should do ghusl before Zuhr and should pray Zuhr with that ghusl and one wudhu as mentioned earlier. The 4 later prayers (up till the morning prayer of the next day) should be prayed with one wudhu each.
3. Istihadha kathira
If the blood exceeds the cotton-pad after soaking it, it is called istihadha kathira (major istihadha). She should do separate wudhu for each prayer, as mentioned earlier, and should do 3 ghusls daily: One for morning prayer, one for Zuhr and Asr and one for Maghrib and Isha. She should pray Zuhr and Asr together and Maghrib and Isha together.
Note: In all cases it is emphasized that she should change the cotton-pad before every wudhu.
2. If she is unable for any reason (described in lesson 48) to do ghusl or wudhu, she should do tayammum in place of that ghusl or wudhu.
3. If a woman observes the rules mentioned above, she should not think herself as najis; she will be clean.
