Question:
Assalamu aleykum dear brothers! My question has to do with the timing of the Friday ghusl. As it is known there are 3 views concerning this: taking Friday ghusl on Thursday evening after Maghrib prayer, taking ghusl on Friday after athaan of Fajr and the third one is taking ghusl after dawn.Sheikh Useymin () says that the most preferrable is the third view (after dawn) because it joins all other views. Now my questions: 1) which is the most correct view based on daleel? 2) is friday ghusl taken on thursday night, i.e. after maghrib valid? 3) if actually the third view is the most correct one, then based on that view if anyone takes ghusl in the evening on Thursday after Maghrib or after athaan on Fajr is his/her friday ghusl valid in this case 4) if it is not difficult for you could you quote the opinion of sheikh al-Albaani in this matter, i.e. timing of friday ghusl if there is any? May I Allah be pleased with you for answering the questions. As Salamu Aleikum.
Fatwa:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
The Ghusl (ritual bath) for Friday prayer is desirable according to the view of the majority of the scholars .
As regards the time of Ghusl, the view of the majority of the scholars among whom is Ash-Shaafi'i, Ahmad, Ath-Thawri, Ishaaq, Mujahid, Al-Hassan and others is that its time starts with the beginning of the time of Fajr.
This is the most correct opinion because the Prophetic narration conditions the Ghusl on Friday as in the narration which reads: “Whoever performs Ghusl on the day of Friday…”, and the day starts with the beginning time of Fajr, but if one delays the Ghusl until before he goes to the Friday prayer, then this is desirable according to the view of the majority of the scholars for the narration which reads: “If anyone of you is about to leave to the Friday prayer, he should perform Ghusl.”
Allah Knows best.
Fatwa answered by: The Fatwa Center at Islamweb