Once water reaches the entire body, and the mouth and nose are washed; ghusl will be complete irrespective of whether one made intention for ghusl or not. Based on this, if someone stands in the rain in order to cool himself, or falls in a pool, etc. and in doing so the entire body gets wet and the mouth and nose are also washed – then ghusl will be complete. Similarly, it is not necessary to read the kalimah or to read it and blow on the water at the time of making ghusl. Whether one reads the kalimah or not, one will still get purified. In fact, it is better not to read the kalimah or any other dua while bathing.
Even if an area equal to a hair’s breadth is left dry, ghusl will not be complete. In the same way, if one forgets to gargle the mouth or wash the nose, ghusl will not be complete.
If after having a bath, one remembers that a particular area was left dry, then it is not necessary to repeat the entire ghusl. Instead, only that dry area should be washed. However, it is not sufficient to merely pass the wet hand over that area. Some water should be taken and poured over that area. If a person forgets to gargle the mouth, he should gargle it. And if a person forgets to wash the nose, he should wash it. In other words, whichever part has been left out, should be washed. It is not necessary to repeat the entire ghusl.
If, due to some illness, it would be harmful to pour water on the head, and he left out the head and washed the rest of the body, even then ghusl will be complete. But once the head has healed, it should be washed and it will not be necessary to repeat the entire ghusl.
In ghusl it is fardh to wash the foreskin of the front organ. If water does not reach there, ghusl will not be complete.
If the hair of the head is not plaited, then it is fardh to wet all the hair and the roots of the hair. If even one hair is left dry, or water did not reach even one root, ghusl will not be complete. However, if the hair is plaited, it is not necessary to wash it. But it is fardh to wet all the roots of the hair. Even one root should not be left dry.
Nose, ear and finger rings should be moved so that water reaches the holes. Even if ear-rings are not worn, one should try and put water into the holes. It should not happen that water does not reach and ghusl remains incomplete. If rings are so loose that without moving them water will reach below them, then it won’t be necessary to move them. Instead, it will be mustahab to move them.
