Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear brother

I have a question regarding ghusul. When a woman delivers a child she will have her ghusul on forty days. So in my country when she is having her ghusul on forty days some elderly woman reads some ayats and pours the water on her and also makes her to wash her mouth forty times. Please do suggest me the correct method of it.

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Answer:

Ghusl after child birth

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The ‘ghusl’ or full bath of purification for a woman post-child birth is exactly the same as she would take to purify herself from her monthly menstruation periods.

To call someone who reads some verses, or pours water on her, or make her wash her mouth forty times, or do anything else in the belief that it is required to purify the woman from her impurities has absolutely nothing to do with the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws)! Such self-made and self-invented rituals are neither necessary nor required, and if one believes such self-invented rituals are required for a woman to purify herself from post-child birth menstruation, it would be regarded as a clear case of the ‘bida’ or innovation, and every innovation in the deen of Islam is an error and a grave sin in the Sight of Allah Subhanah!

Sahih Muslim Hadith 1885 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a sermon: “The best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the innovations, and every innovation is an error.”

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4515 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “If anyone introduces an innovation (in religion), he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by Allah, by His Angels, and by all the people.”

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan