Key points
- Ghusl has three obligatory acts in the Hanafi school: rinsing the mouth, rinsing the nose and washing the whole body.
- Intention is a sunnah of ghusl and wudu in the Hanafi school, needed for reward, not for validity.
- Make ghusl as soon as the bleeding has ended so you do not miss a prayer.
When ghusl is required
Ghusl is obligatory when haiz or nifas ends. Istihaza does not require ghusl. The bleeding has ended when the discharge is completely clean or pure white.
The three obligatory acts (Hanafi)
- Rinse the mouth so water reaches the whole mouth.
- Rinse the nose by drawing water up to the soft bone.
- Wash the entire body so that no part, not even the width of a hair, stays dry.
Hair: a woman with braids does not have to undo them if water reaches the roots. Water must reach the skin under rings, earrings and nail polish; waterproof nail polish must be removed first.
The sunnah method
- Make the intention to purify yourself from haiz or nifas, and say Bismillah.
- Wash both hands to the wrists, then wash the private parts and any impurity on the body.
- Make a full wudu.
- Pour water over the head three times, then the right shoulder three times, then the left.
- Rub the body and make sure water reaches everywhere: navel, behind the ears, under the arms.
The role of intention (niyyah)
In the Hanafi school, intention is a sunnah of wudu and ghusl rather than a condition of their validity: if water reaches every required part, the purification is valid. But the reward of worship depends on intention, as in the hadith "Actions are only by intentions" (Bukhari). So make your intention every time; it takes a moment and turns a wash into an act of worship.
Do not delay
If your period ends in a prayer time and there is time to make ghusl and begin the prayer, that prayer becomes due. Make ghusl promptly; see which prayer is owed.
This guide is educational and follows mainstream Hanafi positions. For your own situation, please consult a qualified scholar. See the disclaimer, the glossary and how rulings are worked out.