MINARA
How to Perform Ghusl
The full-body washing: to wash so that no spot on the body stays dry. Its fard acts, its order and the spots most often missed — based on the Hanafi school following the Diyanet Ilmihal.
Ghusl has three fard acts
According to the Hanafi school the ghusl is not valid without these three. The remaining steps are sunnah. In the other schools the number of fard acts differs.
- Fard 1Rinsing the mouthMadmada — the mouth must become wet
- Fard 2Rinsing the noseIstinshâq — the inside of the nose must become wet
- Fard 3Washing the whole bodyNo spot may stay dry
Step by step
Together with the sunnah acts the full sequence is nine steps. The fard acts are marked in gold. Once is fard; washing three times is sunnah.
Intention and basmala
The intention is made in the heart and the basmala is said. In the Hanafi school the intention is sunnah; in the other three it is fard.
Washing the hands
The hands are washed up to the wrists.
Cleaning the body
The private area and any soiled parts of the body are washed.
Performing wudu
Wudu is performed as for prayer. The order of wudu is here.
If water pools where you wash, it is mustahabb to leave the feet until last.
Rinsing the mouth — madmada
In ghusl this step is fard — the two steps that are sunnah in wudu become obligatory here.
The fard measureThe whole mouth must become wet; gargling to the throat is not required.
Drawing water into the nose — istinshâq
Water reaches the soft part of the nose.
The fard measureThe inside of the nose must become wet; drawing water to the bone is not required.
Pouring water over the head
Begin at the head; the water is poured so that it reaches the roots of the hair.
What to watch forNot the hair itself but the hair roots must become wet. Braided hair does not have to be undone; it is enough that the water reaches the roots.
Pouring water over the right shoulder
Starting from the right shoulder, the right side of the body is washed.
Pouring water over the left shoulder
The left side is washed in the same way. The body is rubbed so that the water reaches everywhere.
The fard boundaryNo spot on the body may stay dry. The ghusl is complete here.
The spots that most often stay dry
A single dry point makes the ghusl invalid. The following spots do not get wet on their own under running water; they must be rubbed and checked by hand. If a dry spot is noticed after the ghusl, only that spot is washed; the whole ghusl is not repeated.
Hair roots
Especially with thick and long hair. The water must reach the root.
The navel
Often does not get wet without being rubbed with a finger.
Ear folds and behind the ears
No water needs to be poured into the ear canal; it is enough that the folds get wet.
The roots of eyebrows, beard and moustache
Not the hair but the root must become wet.
Water-impermeable layers
The criterion is not the name of the substance but whether it forms a layer on the skin. Nail polish, gel polish and artificial nails form a layer; without removing them, water does not reach underneath. Henna and hair dye, which only leave colour, are not a barrier.
Under rings, earrings and piercings
They are moved or taken off so that water reaches underneath.
When is ghusl required?
Ghusl is fard in a state of ritual impurity (janâba) and at the end of menstruation (hayd) and post-natal bleeding (nifâs). On Friday, on the two Eids, before entering ihrâm and upon accepting Islam, ghusl is sunnah or mustahabb.
If you are unsure about your own situation, consult a mosque community or a qualified person.
Differences between the schools
The number of fard acts of ghusl differs by school; this is the most commonly confused point in the chapter on ritual purity. The numbers differ not because the schools command different things, but because they classify steps such as the intention and rubbing at different degrees.
How many fard acts does ghusl have?
- Hanafi — three
- Rinsing the mouth, rinsing the nose, washing the whole body. The intention is sunnah in the Hanafi school and therefore not counted among the fard acts.
- Shafi'i — two
- The intention and washing the whole body. Madmada and istinshâq are sunnah.
- Maliki — five
- The intention, rubbing the body (dalk), completing without interruption (muwalat), making the water reach the hair roots, and washing the whole body.
- Hanbali
- The intention and washing the whole body; rinsing the mouth and nose is also obligatory (wajib).
Are rinsing the mouth and nose fard or sunnah?
- Hanafi · Hanbali
- Fard; without both the ghusl is not complete.
- Shafi'i · Maliki
- Sunnah.
Does ghusl take the place of wudu?
- Hanafi
- Someone who performs ghusl need not perform wudu separately; the ghusl includes it.
- Shafi'i · Maliki · Hanbali
- In these three schools too the ghusl lifts the minor ritual impurity; a separate wudu is not required. If something that breaks wudu occurs during the ghusl, wudu is performed again.
Frequently asked questions
How many fard acts does ghusl have?
According to the Hanafi school, three: rinsing the mouth, rinsing the nose and washing the whole body. The Shafi'i school counts two (the intention and washing the whole body).
Does braided hair have to be undone for ghusl?
It does not have to be undone; it is enough that the water reaches the hair roots.
Does nail polish invalidate ghusl?
Yes, if it forms a layer on the nail — which is the case for nail polish, gel polish and artificial nails; they must be removed. Henna and hair dye, which only leave colour, are not a barrier.
Is a separate wudu needed after ghusl?
Not in the Hanafi school; the ghusl includes the wudu.
What is the difference between ghusl and wudu?
In wudu certain limbs are washed and the head is wiped; in ghusl the whole body is washed, and the inside of the mouth and nose belong to the washed area.
Related pages
The washing is complete — prayer is next
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Note
Source: Presidency of Religious Affairs of Türkiye (Diyanet), Ilmihal I — Faith and Worship, chapter “Ghusl”.
This page is not a fatwa. It is a reminder of the sequence and the fard boundaries. For a question about your own situation, consult a mosque community or a qualified person.