Is regular bath considered as a valid Ghusl?

Question

For long time I thought that taking a normal bath while passing water over the all body is accepted as a valid Ghusl. But I became doubtful last days after reading some informations on the Internet. So can you guys please tell me what are the required actions for a valid ghusl? If I am going to pray after a ghusl(a one without fellowing sunnah by not doing some wudu-like actions) do I need to do wudu ? Edit: clarified like question and sorry for my bad english

Answer 1

Please consider the following two hadiths:

1. عن أم سلمة، قالت: قلت يا رسول الله إني امرأة أشد ضفر رأسي فأنقضه لغسل الجنابة؟ قال: «لا. إنما يكفيك أن تحثي على رأسك ثلاث حثيات ثم تفيضين عليك الماء فتطهرين»

   Umm Salama reported: I said: Messenger of Allah, I am a woman who has closely plaited hair on my head; should I undo it for taking a bath, because of sexual intercourse? He (the Holy Prophet) said: No, it is enough for you to throw three handfuls of water on your head and then pour water over yourself, and you shall be purified.

2. كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا اغتسل من الجنابة يبدأ فيغسل يديه. ثم يفرغ بيمينه على شماله فيغسل فرجه. ثم يتوضأ وضوءه للصلاة. ثم يأخذ الماء فيدخل أصابعه في أصول الشعر. حتى إذا رأى أن قد استبرأ حفن على رأسه ثلاث حفنات. ثم أفاض على سائر جسده. ثم غسل رجليه

   'A'isha reported: When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) bathed because of sexual intercourse, he first washed his hands: he then poured water with his right hand on his left hand and washed his private parts. He then performed ablution as is done for prayer. He then took some water and put his fingers and moved them through the roots of his hair. And when he found that these had been properly moistened, then poured three handfuls on his head and then poured water over his body and subsequently washed his feet.

The first one shows that Wudu is not a requirement of Ghusl and the second one mentions that the Prophet (pbuh) used to perform Wudu as well while taking a Ghusl.

Scholars have adjusted the two hadiths as follows: the first one depicts the mandatory Ghusl and the second one the best Ghusl.

Coming to your specific questions:

• If your 'normal bath' satisfies the criteria of first hadith then your Ghusl is fine.
• It is clear from the following verse Al-Ma'ida 5:6 that the prerequisite of prayers is Wudu. Therefore, if you haven't performed Wudu while doing Ghusl then you must do it.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ

Believers, when you rise to pray, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows and wipe your heads and [wash] your feet up to the ankles.

Answer 2

In Ghusl there are three compulsory things you have to perform to make it a proper Ghusl

1. Add water in your nose (Like in wudu)
2. Add water in mouth (Like in wudu)
3. Passing water through your body.

When you will perform these three things your bath will consider Ghusl (According to Imam Abu Hnifa ).

there are main thing in Ghusl if you will do this your Ghusl will be fine. but the best way to do it is way of our Prophet (saw).

Hadith: Whenever Allah's Messenger (saw) took the bath of Janaba, he cleaned his hands and performed ablution like that for prayer and then took a bath and rubbed his hair, till he felt that the whole skin of the head had become wet, then he would pour water thrice and wash the rest of the body. Sahih al-Bukhari 272, 273

and it is good habit to perform it everyday when you take shower. So you stay pak all the time.