I know Im annoying but....

[Isra]

As salamo alaikome

SOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry to come again with more questions!!! I know I am a member here almost 2 whole years and not ONE question but now I am married to a born Muslim and it seems we have differences of opinion so I need answers!

When you make ghusl is it ok to use a washcloth to put the water on your body??? I know the water has to touch every part of your body but does it need to be poured using just the hand or can I use a cloth to apply the water as long as it touches every part of my body???

There was another question but for now Im not able to think of what it was so I will have to ask at a later date inshallah.

 

[weakslave]

Walykom Assalaam,

There is no need to over think these details. The Prophet used to bathe his entire body using 4 handfuls of water (approx 2 litres). You can imagine that two litres these days is what people use to wash their hands only.

The point of ghusul is that every square millimeter on your body is washed with clean water, and any impurities on the skin removed. As long as this is accomplished ghusul is valid inshaAllaah.

As for the technique, one can attain more rewards by performing ghusul as the Prophet did it:

The complete way, which is doing ghusl as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did it. When he wanted to do ghusl in the case of janaabah, he would wash his hands, then wash his private part and anywhere else that the impurity had reached, then he would do complete wudoo’, then he would wash his head three times with water, then he would wash the rest of his body. This is how complete ghusl is done.

http://islamqa.com/en/ref/83172

He did let the water run over his body and he rubbed his skin with this hands. This is the norm for washing any part of the body.

 

[Aaron Singerman]

I had actually been wondering the same thing.

So glad I found this forum right now!

 

[Seeker-of-truth]

Walykom Assalaam,

The point of ghusul is that every square millimeter on your body is washed with clean water, and any impurities on the skin removed. As long as this is accomplished ghusul is valid inshaAllaah.

how can we be sure that all the impurities have been removed as they say bacteria is so tiny how can you be totally sure you are absolutely clean?

 

[JenGiove]

I don't know if this would be appreciated or not, since this is a matter of faith, but scientifically, there are some bacteria that can survive autoclaving.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endospore

In this matter tho, I think it is a matter of prayerful intent. In the native culture, we have ceremonial cleansing and washing and bathing. For my wedding I bathed in pond water. It was the prayer of intent that mattered.

...but I'm not a Muslim so my words can not be taken as instruction...just a point of view.

 

[ShyHijabi]

how can we be sure that all the impurities have been removed as they say bacteria is so tiny how can you be totally sure you are absolutely clean?

:salam2:

I think people often confuse Islamic impurities with the biological definition of impurities. Islamically we need to be clean of blood, urine, feces, and sexual fluids before prayer. We aren't trying to wash off all bacteria, which is completely impossible btw. Even a surgical scrub can't wash it all off, which is why we wear gloves and gown even after doing a surgical scrub.

 

[hassana elkoussi]

Salam alaikum dear sister,

Here's a fatwa about the best way to perform ghusl according to the sunnah of the Prophet pbuh:

What is the right way for tahara after Janabah. Do I have to wash my hair or just touch my hair with water just like Wudu.
Answer

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions. Ghusl al-Janabah (major ceremonial washing of the whole body) can be performed in two ways:The first way is sufficient but not the best. The person has to pour water over his/her whole body including the roots of the hair and what is between the fingers and the like with the intention of purification from janabah. The second way is more likable as it fits with what the Prophet Muhammad (Blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to do as Aisha narrated by Meimouna () in Al-Bukhari and Muslim's collection of Hadith. This Ghusl is as follows: First, the person washes his/her private parts, then makes the wudu (ablutions) as usually done before prayers, then pours water on his/her head three times till the water gets to the roots of the hair. After that, the person pours the water over his/her whole body and finally washes his/her feet. Rubbing the hair is not sufficient in both ways, indeed the water has to reach the derm of the head. Allah knows best.
http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&Id=81699

According to the above fatwa, I don't think you can use any cloth in the process of tahara ( purification) since this will never allow the water to reach the derm of the head.

Hope this helps my dear sister.

Salam alaikum

 

[weakslave]

how can we be sure that all the impurities have been removed as they say bacteria is so tiny how can you be totally sure you are absolutely clean?

#1 no one is tasked beyond their capabilities

#2 so called "harmful bacteria" is actually quite beneficial to the body. The immune system needs to be under constant attack in order for it to function normally. Any excessive cleaning using rubbing alcohol or other antibacterial agents is harmful with negative long term effects. Some of the effects of exaggeration in cleanliness are delayed immune response and allergies. Yes, allergies develop when the body is not exposed to harmful antigens for long periods of time.

I know there is increased awareness these days of harmful bacteria, and that increased awareness is damaging us. In the pre-pharmaceutical days, people lived healthy and strong and all they used was a simple soap-like substance for cleanliness. Rest assured if you develop a bacterial infection your body can easily heal itself in two weeks or you can get antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. I don't even know what the big deal is..

As Muslims we know to wash our hands after using the washroom and to only use our left hands for filthy things. Most of our contact with others is done through our right hands, which should never touch impurity anyways.

@JenGiove - ghusul is both ceremonial (spiritual) and physical. Body must be free, after ghusul, from any detectable impurities.

@hassana elkoussi - I forgot about the scalp, thanks for sharing this.