In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
The Senior Scholars Project in Kuwait is pleased,
in cooperation with the Foundation of Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz Ibn Baz,
may Allah have mercy on him,
to present to you
"The Fiqh Choices
in Matters of Worship and Transactions"
from the fatwas of the eminent scholar and Imam,
'Abd al-'Aziz Ibn 'Abd Allah Ibn Baz,
may Allah have mercy on him,
compiled and arranged by Shaykh
Khalid Ibn Sa'ud Ibn 'Amir al-'Ajmi.
The Book of Purification:
Chapter on Ghusl (Ritual Bath).
The eminent Imam Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
Performing ghusl on Friday is an emphasized Sunnah.
Ghusl after cupping (hijamah),
and ghusl after washing a deceased person,
are both recommended acts of purification.
As for his saying, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:
"Friday ghusl is obligatory upon every adult,"
its meaning, according to the majority of the people of knowledge, is that it is highly emphasized,
just as the Arabs say:
"A promise is a debt,"
and "Your right upon me is an obligation."
This meaning is evidenced by
his sufficiency, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
with wudu in some hadiths.
Applying perfume, using the siwak,
wearing fine clothes,
and going early to the Friday prayer,
are all among the strongly encouraged Sunnahs,
and none of them is obligatory.
The assertion of some people
that when performing ghusl it is obligatory
for a person to face the qiblah
is incorrect.
Whoever performs ghusl to remove major ritual impurity (janabah) on Friday,
that suffices him in place of the Friday ghusl;
however, it is preferable to intend both of them together when bathing.
The Sunnah ghusl for Friday is not validly attained
unless it is performed after the break of dawn.
It is best that one's ghusl be performed when setting out
to the Friday prayer,
because that is most complete for energy and cleanliness.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
when he had intimacy with his wife,
used to wash his private parts and perform wudu,
and then go to sleep, peace and blessings be upon him;
sometimes he would perform ghusl before that.
If he performed ghusl, that was more complete,
but if he slept and then performed ghusl at the end of the night, there was no harm in that.
However, sleeping without wudu and without ghusl
is disliked (makruh).
Ghusl from janabah, menstruation, or post-natal bleeding
suffices for wudu
if the person bathing intends purification from both the minor and major ritual impurities.
Yet it is preferable to clean the private parts (istinja'),
then perform wudu, and then complete the ghusl,
following the example of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
But if one only intends the major ritual impurity,
then what is appropriate is that one must perform wudu.
If one touches the private parts during ghusl from major ritual impurity,
one must repeat the wudu.
If the ghusl is for Friday, or for cooling off and general cleanliness,
it does not suffice for wudu, even if one intends that,
due to the lack of prescribed sequence (tartib),
which is an obligatory element of wudu,
and because there is no major purification here under which minor purification could be subsumed by intention;
rather, one must perform wudu either before or after it.
Whoever relies solely on the Friday ghusl without performing wudu
must repeat the prayer as Zuhr,
because the Friday ghusl does not suffice for wudu.
A recommended ghusl does not suffice for wudu even if intended,
unless one observes the proper sequence;
meaning, one performs wudu while bathing, adhering to both the sequence and the intention.
If eggs, wheat, lemon, or the like are added to shampoo,
they become unfit for consumption,
so there is no harm in washing with them in bathrooms.
Ghusl is not obligatory for someone who has a wet dream
unless they find wetness, which is seminal fluid (maniy),
because of the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:
"Water is from water,"
meaning that the water of ghusl is required due to the fluid of semen,
and this, according to the people of knowledge, applies to one who has a wet dream.
Whoever has sexual intercourse with his wife is obliged to perform ghusl,
even if no emission occurs.
The hadith: "Whoever washes a deceased person, let him perform ghusl,
and whoever carries him, let him perform wudu," is weak.
However, it has been established from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in other hadiths,
that which indicates the recommendation of ghusl after washing a deceased person.
As for carrying the deceased, nothing authentic has been reported regarding wudu after it,
and wudu is not recommended after carrying a bier,
due to the lack of evidence for it.
If washing the head during ghusl from janabah or menstruation would cause harm,
it suffices to wipe over it along with performing tayammum.
If there is a medicated plaster on the back or flank of a person in a state of janabah,
or a splint, passing wet hands or water over it suffices,
and there is no need to remove it;
rather, whenever water is passed over it, that is sufficient until Allah grants healing,
and he is not required to perform tayammum; rather, passing water over it suffices.
If a woman pours three handfuls of water over her head for ghusl from janabah,
that is sufficient for her,
and there is no need for her to undo her braids.
Merely running damp fingers through the hair of the head
without pouring water is not sufficient;
water must be poured, even if only once,
though the Sunnah is to do so three times.
It has reached us that some women become pure after the break of dawn,
or before dawn,
yet delay performing ghusl until after sunrise,
claiming they wish to perform a more complete, cleaner, and thorough bath.
This is an error,
neither permissible in Ramadan nor at any other time,
because it is obligatory upon her to hasten and perform ghusl in order to perform the prayer on time.
Whoever wakes up shortly before sunrise in a state of janabah,
not having prayed Fajr yet,
must perform ghusl, complete their purification, and then pray;
they are not permitted to perform tayammum under the pretext of catching the prayer time.
A man is permitted to have intercourse with his wife more than once without performing ghusl between the two acts,
though performing ghusl is better.
The Sunnah is that if he wishes to repeat intercourse without performing ghusl,
he should perform wudu like that for prayer.
Traditions have also been reported indicating the permissibility of omitting wudu as well.
It is recommended for a woman performing ghusl from menstruation or post-natal bleeding
to bathe using water and sidr (lotus leaves);
this is what is preferable.
As for one in a state of janabah, they do not need sidr,
and plain water suffices.
Pouring water and making it reach the entire body in ghusl from janabah, menstruation, or post-natal bleeding
suffices without rubbing the body with the hands, due to the generality of the verses and hadiths on this.
If seminal fluid is discharged after performing ghusl,
one is not required to repeat the ghusl;
rather, one only needs to repeat istinja' and wudu,
because the emission of semen without sexual desire does not necessitate ghusl.
If water is scarce,
and one is unable to complete ghusl with it,
one performs wudu like that for prayer and performs tayammum for the remainder.
If a person is in a place where there is only a little water that is insufficient for a full ghusl,
he washes whatever part of his body he can with it,
and then performs tayammum for the rest.
Whoever is unable to perform wudu,
nor ghusl from janabah, nor tayammum with clean earth,
prays in whatever state he is in;
his prayer is valid, and he does not have to make it up.
If a menstruating woman performs ghusl after attaining purity from menses,
and then experiences some discharge after purification:
if the discharge is yellowish or brownish,
it is not counted as anything,
but rather takes the ruling of urine;
whereas if it is overt blood,
it is considered part of the menses,
and she must repeat the ghusl once it ceases.
The body of a person in a state of janabah is pure,
and likewise, seminal fluid is pure.
It is permissible for a person in janabah, before bathing,
to touch items such as clothes, dishes, pots, and the like,
because he is not impure.
There is no harm in a person in janabah clipping their nails
or cutting some of their hair
if there is a need to do so before performing ghusl.
There is no harm in a woman breastfeeding her child while in a state of janabah.
There is no harm in delaying ghusl for janabah without an excuse,
as long as the time for prayer has not arrived;
but once the prayer time arrives, ghusl becomes mandatory.
It has been confirmed in the two Sahihs from the hadith of Hudhayfah and Abu Hurayrah
that they met the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and then slipped away from him.
He said to them, "What was the matter with you?"
They replied,
"We were in a state of janabah,
and we disliked sitting with you while we were not in a state of purity."
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
"A Muslim does not become impure."
And he did not disapprove of their remaining in a state of ritual impurity.
What we advise is that hastening to perform ghusl is commendable;
if one hastens, it is good,
but it is not obligatory upon him.
A person may have an impediment,
going out to the marketplace to purchase a needed item or the like,
so there is no harm in that.
Hastening is only obligatory upon him when an obligation requiring purity arrives.