Back to search

Is it obligatory for a person in a state of ritual impurity (junub) to perform ghusl before going to the mosque to pray, or can he go while in this state?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A person in a state of major ritual impurity (junub) must perform ghusl (full ritual ablution) in order to pray, and their prayer is not valid without ghusl, because Allah the Almighty says: (O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying, nor while you are in a state of major ritual impurity, except those passing through [a mosque], until you have washed [your whole body]) [An-Nisa: 43]. And because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: (Prayer is not accepted without purification). This is an ijma' (consensus) among scholars, even if it means missing congregational prayer.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy