Do I Have to Perform a Ghusl After Stepping on Feces?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalam alaykum

I stepped on feces in my room in my hostel. I cleaned my slippers and feet after that incident. The feces might have been of a cat or a human. I called the sweeper to cleaned it. He did cleaned but not properly.Is a ghusl necessary for me to clean myself in this case?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

No, a ritual bath (ghusl) is only required after ejaculation or penetration, or the end of menstrual or post-natal bleeding.

You did the correct thing by washing away the filth from both your feet and slippers as the requirement is simply to remove the body of visible filth.

Please also see: The Ritual Bath (ghusl): Obligatory, Recommended, and Disliked Acts and: A Reader on Waswasa (Baseless Misgivings)

And Allah Most High alone knows best.

wassalam,

[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Tabraze Azam holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Leicester, where he also served as the President of the Islamic Society. He memorised the entire Qur’an in his hometown of Ipswich at the tender age of sixteen, and has since studied the Islamic Sciences in traditional settings in the UK, Jordan and Turkey. He is currently pursuing advanced studies in Jordan, where he is presently based with his family.