Assalaamu alaykum. I recently noticed that there was a part of my body that was was covered in a congealed substance. I did Ghusl (ritual bath) for Janaabah (major ritual impurity) almost a week or two ago and have reason to believe that this congealed substance has been there since that time. My question is, I know that if there was a part of my body that did not get washed during ghusl that I only wash that part to finish my Ghusl; however, it has been maybe a week or two since my Ghusl. Do I still just wash that part, or, given that it has been so long, do I need to do a full Ghusl again?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

First of all, you should know that if it is probable that something happened at one of two different times, then it is considered to have happened at the latest time. Therefore, if you doubt whether this congealed substance was present before performing Ghusl or after, then you should assume that it happened after you had performed Ghusl, and your Ghusl, in this case, is valid.

However, if you are certain that it was present before performing Ghusl, then you are obliged only to wash that place that was covered by this obstacle because, according to the view of the majority of scholars, immediate succession in washing is not a condition for the validity of Ghusl, and this is the view that we adopt here at Islamweb. Please, refer to fatwa 85909.

Therefore, if you are certain that the substance was present before the Ghusl, then you only have to wash this place, even if it is after a long time, but you have to make up for the prayers that you prayed with this incomplete Ghusl as they were invalid and insufficient because of lacking one of the conditions for the validity of the prayer, which is Tahaarah (purification).

Allaah knows best.