The major ablution is a very important topic for the Muslim woman, who must learn to perform this rite of bodily washing so that her prayers are valid and accepted by her Lord Allah Azzawajjal. Moving from a state of impurity to one of purification is an obligatory act commanded by God and His Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, which is done in several ways in Islam. A woman, just like a man, must know the conditions required to establish her prayer, and the state of ritual purity is part of them. What is ritual purification called in Arabic? How does a woman perform her major ablution? These are all questions we will try to answer, by the Permission of Allah.
Introduction to the major ablution
In Islam there are different kinds of impurities that require washing. This brief summary of the three washings that exist in the Muslim religion is worthwhile.
The minor ablution is the act of washing before each prayer. It is called al wudhu and is performed after a minor impurity (such as passing gas or urine, etc.) in order to be in a state of ritual purity. Being clean is not enough to be considered in a state of purity in the Islamic sense of the term. The minor ablutions are mentioned in the Quran, unlike the major ablution.
The major ablution is a purification of the whole body after a major impurity (such as the emission of semen or of female fluid after climax). Having performed one's minor ablutions is not enough to pray if one has had sexual intercourse, for example. The ghusl, the name given to the major ablution in Islam, is required in addition to the minor ablutions. See below how to go about performing it.
The dry ablution, for its part, is the name given to the way of recovering a state of minor or major purity when one does not have access to water. The dry ablution is the act of using pure earth or a stone in place of water. This will be the subject of another article.
What is the major ablution for a woman?
The major ablution, called ghusl in Arabic, is a way of washing the whole body in order to regain a state of ritual purity following an impurity. The Muslim woman who wishes to be able to resume her acts of worship, such as prayer for example, but also in other cases that we will see later, performs a washing of her entire body, unlike the minor ablutions, called wudhu, which every Muslim performs before entering prayer, five times a day. This way of performing the minor ablutions involves fewer steps, since it does not wash the whole body but only the upper and lower limbs, the face and the head.
So what is the difference for the major ablution?
It is a bath that the woman (or the man too) takes to be clean, certainly, but a ritual bath respecting a certain number of criteria that make the Muslim man or woman able to regain their state of ritual purity. This means that the woman can once again pray, fast, perform her pilgrimage to Mecca, etc.
The difference between a man and a woman lies not in the practice of the ghusl but in the cases where it becomes obligatory to perform it, and certain exceptions related to women, such as the way of washing the hair by passing water over tied hair.
When to perform the major ablution as a woman?
The ritual washing, called in Islam the major ablution, must be performed by a woman:
- after menstruation (periods)
- after a period of lochia (bleeding due to childbirth)
- after sexual intercourse with her husband
- after the discharge of fluid upon waking from an erotic dream
- on Friday
- for the two feasts, Al Fitr and Al Adha
- before a conversion to Islam
How does a woman perform her major ablution ?
1) The woman who wants to perform her ghusl begins by making her intention, for every act is valued only by its intention. Thus, performing a major ablution without having had the intention in one's soul is not accepted.
- the intention
- the purity of the water one is going to use. It must have no smell, taste, or color. It must be clear and pure.
These two elements are two conditions not to be neglected.
2) then the Muslim woman washes her hands 3 times
3) and performs her minor ablutions as for prayer, without forgetting to wash her feet.
Note: the woman may pass water over her braid or braids if she is in the habit of braiding her hair. The essential thing is that she must pass the water so that it touches the scalp of her head. 3 times
4) She then pours water over her whole body, starting with the right side, rubbing thoroughly over every area of her body without forgetting the armpits, the right breast, the neck and the nape, the back of the shoulder, the belly and the back. Her entire right side.
5) then she repeats this step by passing water over her whole body on the left side.
6) once the washing is finished, the Muslim woman recites the testimony of faith: the shahada.
Reminder of the Shahada: Ash hadou an La illaha illa Lah, wa ash hadou anna Mohamed rassoul Allah.
What invalidates a woman's major ablution?
As mentioned above, the onset of menstrual blood, or that of childbirth, as well as states of impurity (janaba) after sexual intercourse or after an orgasm, are all moments that require a ritual bath to recover one's state of purity and regain the ability to carry out one's religious obligations.
Conclusion
Women are under obligation just as much as men when it comes to the requirement of being in a state of purity before carrying out any act of worship, whether daily or exceptional (such as the pilgrimage to Mecca). Unlike the minor ablution, which must be renewed before each prayer (if one has not been able to maintain that state), the ghusl, or in English the "major ablution", only needs to be redone when a major impurity has affected the woman.
We have seen that man and woman alike purify themselves in the same way, but that the woman has circumstances due to her female physiology that require her to purify herself with the major ablution. Let us recall that it is not only the quality of the purification that unites man and woman before the same obligation. Indeed, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, enjoined us by his example to use only very little water, or in any case not to fall into wasting water when performing one's ghusl.
May Allah purify us all!
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