Question:
After menstruation ends, how should the obligatory bath (ghusl) be performed? Is it sufficient to follow the hadith in Muslim, or should it be done the way the Prophetﷺ (peace be upon him) used to perform ghusl, including performing wudu before bathing?
Answer:
When asked about how to bathe after menstruation, the Prophetﷺ (peace be upon him) said: “Pour water over your head thoroughly, rub the roots of your hair well, and then wash the rest of your body.” This is mentioned in Muslim.
So, the question is: Is this sufficient? Or should one perform wudu first and then bathe, as in the hadith where the Prophetﷺ (peace be upon him) would perform ablution before performing the obligatory bath?
There is a hadith that describes how the Prophetﷺ performed ghusl: He would wash his private parts, clean his hands, then perform ablution similar to the ablution for prayer (except delaying washing the feet), then pour water over his head, and finally wash his feet at the end.
So, should women after menstruation follow that method? Or is it enough to pour water over the head and body as mentioned in the menstruation-specific hadith?
The obligatory bath that the Prophetﷺ performed applies to menstruation bath as well, since that too is an obligatory bath. There are hadiths that show two methods:
One narration describes that he performed wudu before bathing.
Another narration (in Muslim, from Aisha) describes that he washed the private area, poured water with his right hand, cleaned the area with the left hand, then poured water over his head and bathed — without mentioning full ablution first.
This shows that obligatory ghusl can be performed in two ways:
- Perform ablution first, then bathe — this is Sunnah and more complete.
- Bathe directly without performing full ablution first — this is also valid and proven.
Therefore, women after menstruation may choose either method:
- They may simply pour water thoroughly over the head and body as taught.
- Or they may perform ablution first and then bathe, following the more complete method.
Both are valid in the Shari‘ah.