Does Interrupting My Ghusl Invalidate It?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

I was about to wipe my body with a towel after doing a ghusl when I realized I hadn’t washed a specific part of my body. So, after 1 minute, I took down the towel (I had not yet wiped the body) and washed the part. Was my ghusl valid?

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

Yes, your Ghusl was valid because you have washed all the body areas that must be washed for a valid Ghusl. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Allah, Most High, says: “And if you are in a state of major impurity, then take a full bath.” [Quran, 5:6]

As you can see, continuity is not a condition for fulfilling the Divine command.

Nonetheless, it is an emphasized sunna to uphold continuity while performing your Ghusl. Failing to do so is of no consequence regarding the validity of your Ghusl. But it remains sinful to make a habit of leaving this aspect without excuse. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Continuity is defined as washing a limb before the previous one has dried. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found. Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others. He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.