Short answer
Ghusl is the ritual bath of Islam: washing the whole body with water, including the mouth and nose in the Hanafi school, to lift the state of major impurity after intercourse, ejaculation, a period or postnatal bleeding. Wudu washes only certain limbs and lifts minor impurity. Ghusl is also sunnah before Jumuah, Eid and ihram.
Ghusl is fard after janabah, menstruation and postnatal bleeding, and sunnah for Jumuah, the two Eids, ihram and the day of Arafah. Its fard parts are rinsing the mouth, the nose and washing the whole body, and a complete ghusl also counts as wudu.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Rinsing the mouth and nose is sunnah in ghusl, and intention is fard.
- Maliki
- Intention and rubbing the body are fard; rinsing the mouth and nose is sunnah.
Explanation
The Arabic word ghusl, said with a throaty gh like the French r, means washing. In fiqh it means pouring water over the whole body in a set way, as an act of worship. The Quran refers to it twice: if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves (5:6), and do not approach prayer in janabah until you have washed (4:43).
Ghusl and wudu compared:
- Wudu (ablution): washes the face, arms and feet and wipes the head. It lifts minor impurity, caused by things like using the toilet, passing wind or sleep.
- Ghusl: washes the entire body. It lifts major impurity, caused by intercourse, ejaculation, and the end of a period or postnatal bleeding.
- A ghusl includes wudu, but wudu never replaces a ghusl that is due.
Kinds of ghusl in the Hanafi school:
- Fard: after janabah, a period and postnatal bleeding (see when ghusl is required).
- Sunnah: for Jumuah, the two Eids, ihram and the day of Arafah (see Friday ghusl).
- Recommended: for a new Muslim, after washing a dead body, and before entering Makkah, among others.
Washing the dead is also called ghusl, but it is a duty of the living toward the deceased with its own rules. For the method see how to do ghusl and the fard of ghusl.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Maaida 5:6
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًۭا فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌۭ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءًۭ فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًۭا طَيِّبًۭا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍۢ وَلَٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٦﴾
O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful.
The command to bathe after janabah.
Quran, Surah An-Nisaa 4:43
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنتُمْ سُكَٰرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَعْلَمُوا۟ مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلَا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِى سَبِيلٍ حَتَّىٰ تَغْتَسِلُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌۭ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءًۭ فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًۭا طَيِّبًۭا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا ﴿٤٣﴾
O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying or in a state of janabah, except those passing through [a place of prayer], until you have washed [your whole body]. And if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and find no water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and your hands [with it]. Indeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving.
Prayer in janabah is not allowed until ghusl.
Sahih al-Bukhari 248
Sahih... بدأ فغسل يديه ثم يتوضأ كما يتوضأ للصلاة ...
"He began by washing his hands, then made wudu as he did for prayer."
Shows that the sunnah ghusl contains a wudu.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Taharat, chapter on ghusl. The fard of ghusl, its causes and the sunnah ghusls.
- Nur al-Idah with Maraqi al-Falah, Kitab al-Taharah, section on ghusl. Lists the fard, sunnah and recommended ghusls.
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.