Is Ghusl Valid If I Wash My Mouth More Than Three Times?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalamu Alaykum. Would my Ghusl be valid if I rinse my mouth or nose more than three times intentionally for a specific reason? Is there a strict rule that we must only rinse our mouth or nose three times?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

Your ritual bath (ghusl) is valid if you washed your entire mouth and nose a single time. Doing so thrice would be from the sunna given that the washings are subsumed within the ritual ablution (wudu) which normally takes place before the bath.

If you had a reason for washing multiple times, such as a sour taste you were trying to get rid off, that would be fine. If, on the other hand, it was mere misgivings, then you should avoid such a practice in future as it is unnecessary and contrary to the sunna.

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.