Short answer
No special dua for ghusl is reported from the Prophet ﷺ. You say bismillah at the start and make the intention in your heart to lift janabah or to do the sunnah ghusl. At the end you can say the shahada as after wudu. Wording printed in some books, such as nawaitu al-ghusl, is not from the sunnah and is not required.
Intention (niyyah) in ghusl is sunnah in the Hanafi school: the ghusl is valid without it, but it is rewarded as worship only with it. Its place is the heart. Saying bismillah at the start is sunnah. Some later Hanafi scholars considered saying the intention aloud good to help the heart focus, but it is not required.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Intention is fard in ghusl; a ghusl without it does not lift janabah.
- Maliki
- Intention is fard in ghusl.
- Hanbali
- Intention is fard, and bismillah is wajib for one who remembers.
Explanation
People often search for "ghusl ki dua" because many Urdu and English books print an Arabic intention for ghusl. No hadith gives a set dua for ghusl. What the sunnah teaches is to begin with Allah's name, as with wudu, and to know in your heart why you are washing.
How to make the niyyah:
- For janabah: intend in your heart to lift the state of janabah, or to do the fard ghusl.
- After a period or postnatal bleeding: intend to purify yourself from it.
- For Jumuah or Eid: intend the sunnah ghusl of that day.
You do not need Arabic words. If you want to say something, plain words in your own language are as good as any formula.
Say bismillah before undressing or before entering the toilet area, because dhikr is not said aloud in a toilet (see bismillah in the bathroom). At the end, since the sunnah ghusl includes a wudu, you can say the dua after wudu: the shahada, which the Prophet ﷺ said opens the eight gates of Paradise for the one who makes wudu well.
In the Hanafi school, a ghusl without any intention, such as a thorough shower in which you rinsed your mouth and nose, still lifts janabah. The other schools disagree, which is why a clear intention is the safe habit. For the steps see how to do ghusl.
The evidence
Sahih al-Bukhari 1
Sahih... إنما الأعمال بالنيات وإنما لكل امرئ ما نوى ...
"Actions are only by intentions, and each person gets only what he intended."
The basis of intention: Hanafis apply it to the reward of ghusl, the other schools to its validity.
Sahih Muslim 234
Sahih... من توضأ فقال أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له ...
"Whoever makes wudu and then says: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner."
The dhikr taught after wudu, which also suits the end of a ghusl that contained a wudu.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Nur al-Idah with Maraqi al-Falah, Kitab al-Taharah, section on the sunnahs of ghusl. Intention and bismillah are sunnah in ghusl.
- al-Durr al-Mukhtar with Radd al-Muhtar, Kitab al-Taharah, sunnahs of wudu, discussion of intention. Intention is in the heart; voicing it is considered good by later scholars.
- al-Majmu' (Nawawi), Kitab al-Taharah, chapter on ghusl. Intention is fard in the Shafi'i school.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.