IslamicBoard
Thread: Ghusl & Wudu
British Wholesales - Certified Wholesale Linen & Towels | Halal Food Gastronomy | PHP 8.4 patch for vBulletin 4.2.5

Crystal

Esteemed Member
Messages
177
Reaction score
25
Gender
Female
Religion
Islam
Can someone tell me what is the difference between ghusl and wudu, thanks.
 
Ghusl is to wash the whole body (water touches the whole body). Preferably in a recommended way (following sunnah).
Wudu is to wash only some parts of the body : hands, face, head, feet. In a ceratain order.

A muslim can do prayer only if he is in a state of valid ghusl and wudu. You can do prayer as long as you don't break your last ghusl and your last wudu. If you break your wudu or ghusl, you should redo it before the next prayer. Ghusl can replace wudu (if you do ghusl, wudu is unnecessary).


Things that invalidate/require ghusl :

  1. After the discharge of semen as a result of stimulation whether awake or asleep (i.e. in a wet dream).
  2. After sexual intercourse performing Ghusl is required.
  3. Following a period of menstruation, a woman is required to perform Ghusl.
  4. At the end of 40 days after childbirth, a woman is required to perform Ghusl but if the bleeding stops before completing the 40 days period, then she must make the Ghusl as soon as the bleeding stops.
  5. When a Muslim dies, Ghusl is required for him/her except for the Jihad Martyr (Shaheed).

Things that invalidate/require wudu :
1. Anything coming out as urine, feaces or gas etc.
2. A person falling sound Sleep
3. Becoming Unconscious - insanity or fainting or intoxication
4. Touching the Uncovered Private Parts

(A person can break his wudu without breaking his ghusl)

Further information
​


GHUSL : http://www.muslimconverts.com/prayer/ghusl.htm

WUDU : http://www.muslimconverts.com/prayer/how-to-perform-wudhu.htm
 
Last edited:
thanks for that reply,
would having a bath/shower be considered ghusl or is it necessary to follow those certain steps of cleaning on that website you supplied
 
Crystal said:
thanks for that reply,
would having a bath/shower be considered ghusl or is it necessary to follow those certain steps of cleaning on that website you supplied
Click to expand...

Those certain steps are the sunnah way of doing ghusl, but if you want you can also just bath but you must have the intention of doing ghusl, and when you bath you have to ensure that water touches every part of your body including your scalp etc and then just sniff water up your nose and blow out and rinse mouth with water also.

Wudhu is the wash that must be done before prayer.

Ghusl is the wash that must be done after intercourse.
 
Last edited:
Salahudeen said:
Wudhu is the wash that must be done before prayer.
Click to expand...

just a tiny correction:

You don't have to perform wudoo each time you are going to perform prayer as long as the wudoo from previous prayer is not broken/invalidated.
 
Crystal said:
Thanks, I understand it now
Click to expand...

Now I hope you see how Islam already instituted personal cleanliness and hygiene and obligatory wash when the rest of the world (especially europeans) still did not wash themselves regularly.

prophet Muhammad (saw) also taught and commanded us to brush our teeth regularly (siwaak) several times a day.
 
Asalam
Just a note add that Bible teaches Ghusl and Wudu also and till now Jews wash before praying as well as the Taharah or washing the dead before burial (Acts 9:37)

And whoever he that hath issue (a zav, ejaculant with an unusual discharge) touches without having rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening (Leviticus 15:11)

And also references to wudu:

He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. Exodus 40:30

I will wash my hands in innocence; so will I compass Thine altar, O LORD (Psalms 26:6)