Was My Ritual Bath Still Valid If I Disregarded Waswas?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi
Question
I washed my lap after having a wet dream. I didn’t use a lot of water. I think the water that spread across my lap was filthy, and after taking a shower, I had waswasa about water splashes falling into the tub, so I washed it, and then I had another thought, so I rewashed it. It took about 30 minutes to do this, then I started putting water on myself, some of which fell on my lap and then went into the tub, but I kept going.
Is my ghusl valid?
Answer
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
I pray this finds you in the best of states.
Yes, your ritual bath was valid. [Quduri, Mukhtasar]
The reason for this ruling is that you have washed your body with purifying water.
The filth you had on your body was gone long before you even started to perform your ritual bath because you had properly washed the filthy area of your body first.
The proper way to perform a ritual bath is to remove the filth first. This is what you did.
Please remember that when you pour running water over you, the water you are using remains pure as long as no trace of filth is manifested in it. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]
The Sunna Ghusl
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, may Allah preserve him, wrote in a previous answer that:
“The sunna ghusl begins with (1) washing one’s private parts; (2) washing away any filth on the body; (3) performing a full wudu—clothed, with all its sunnas—and then (4) washing one’s body three complete times, beginning with the head each time, rubbing at least once. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]
In doing so, intend to follow the beautiful example of the Beloved Messenger of Allah (peace & blessings be upon him & his folk), and to seek the Pleasure of Allah.” [Faraz Rabbani, SeekersGuidance]
Please see: The Complete Ghusl
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.
