DO YOU BATH?

I wish I posted this earlier, been a Friday, but all well and good, you can always bookmark it for further reference.

That's a very catchy title quite alright, but it's very apt. I am referring to the complete bathing, Ghusl. I have read different versions of how this bath should be had, the question now is, do we bath? In the real Sense of the word.. are we performing ghusl the way we should? How did the sunnah ask us to perform the Ghusl? I dusted my bookshelf and retrieved my copy of Dr. Abdulazeem Badawi's. Concise presentation of the Fiqh of the Sunnah and the Noble Book, page 60 contains detailed explanation of the prophet's manner of performing the Ghusl.

There are certain events that make the Ghusl obligatory. They are;

• The ejaculation of semen regardless of whether one is awake or asleep 
• Sexual intercourse even if one does not ejaculate 
• A non-muslim embracing Islam
• When the menses and postpartum bleeding come to an end
• On Fridays

These are when the Ghusl is recommended ;

• Performing ghusl for every separate act of Sexual intercourse
• For every prayer by the woman who is mustahadah( suffering from metrorrghia or uterine hemorrhaging 
• After been unconscious 
• After burying a polytheist
• For the two eids, and day of arafah
• After washing a deceased person
• In order to enter the inviolable state of the Major pilgrimage or the Minor pilgrimage 
• Prior to entering Makkah

To perform ghusl, one must first have the intention, verily the prophet SAW said that all actions are based on intentions ( Bukhari) 

Aisha RA said 'when the prophet SAW would perform the Ghusl (because of Sexual defilement) , he used to begin by washing his hands. Then he would pour water from his right hand to his left and wash his private part. He would then perform the ablution of the prayer. Then he would take some water and put his fingers down to the roots of his hair. When he saw that he fulfilled that part, he would pour three handfuls of water over his head using both hands. Finally, he would pour water over all his body and then wash his feet' ( recorded by Bukhari and Muslim) 

In addition to the above, the women who just finished their menses should purify themselves with a piece of cotton with musk in it. May Allah make it easy for us. Ameen.