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I have found you this on Islamonline, and on the bottom are more links to the same issue..
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Name of Questioner
Salim - United States
Title
Is Ghusl a Specific Way of Taking a Shower?
Question
I hear people talking about ghusl (ritual bath) and I don’t know what it is. I usually take my normal shower (everyday). Is ghusl a specific way of taking a shower? Is there a specific way to take a shower in Islam?
Date
09/Nov/2004
Name of Mufti
Topic
Ritual bath
Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear questioner, we are greatly pleased to receive your question which shows the confidence you place in us. May Allah reward you abundantly for your interest in knowing the teachings of Islam!
In the first place, we would like to stress that Islam is the religion of cleanliness. Islam requires a person to pay considerable attention to his personal hygiene and cleanliness. The Qur’an says: (Truly Allah loves those who turn unto Him, and loves those who have a care for cleanness.) (Al-Baqarah: 222) The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “Cleanliness is half of faith.”
Responding to the question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Ghusl is not just any type of shower; rather, properly speaking, it is ritual bathing for the purpose of worship. It is essential to perform ghusl under the following conditions:
1. Following sexual intercourse;
2. Emission of seminal fluid regardless of whether it occurred while being awake or asleep;
3. In the case of women, following menstruation; after menstruation stops, they must perform ghusl before resuming Prayer;
4. In the case of women, again, after the expiry of post-natal bleeding; they must perform ghusl before resuming Prayer.
5. When there is a reasonable ground to believe that he/she is in contact with some form of impurity on his/her body and not sure of the precise location so as to clean it; in which case a full ghusl is necessary;
6. When a non-Muslim embraces Islam.
In each or all of the above circumstances, one must perform a complete bath before resuming Prayer or reading Qur’an or performing Tawaf (performing circumambulation around the Ka`bah).
In order for ghuslto be complete, the following conditions must be fulfilled:
1. Intention of performing the same for the purpose of worship;
2. Making sure that the whole body is bathed at least once.
The complete and full form of ghusl involves the following steps:
1.Washing the genitals thoroughly first;
2. Performing wudu` except washing of the feet, which can be done later;
3. Pouring water over the head;
4. Bathing the whole body starting from the right side;
5. Washing the entire body three times.
You can also read:
How to Perform Ghusl (Ritual Bath)
Things that Necessitate Ghusl
Is Washing the Hair in Ghusl Obligatory?
Ejaculation: Does It Always Entail Ghusl?
Do I Have to Perform Ghusl after Orgasm?
Ghusl after Intercourse: Why?
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to write back!
May Allah guide you to the straight path, and guide you to that which pleases Him, Amen.