Question:
Assalamualaikum wbt. I have one question, I’m sorry if my question is strange. If someone brushes his teeth before performing the obligatory bath, is the bath valid? Thank you ustaz.
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam wbt. Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Bathing is a purification process from major hadas and cleansing oneself. This is in accordance with Allah SWT’s statement:
إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلتَّوَّٰبِينَ وَيُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ
“Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.”
Surah al-Baqarah (222)
There are two types of bath; one of it is the obligatory bath. Obligatory bath is one of the valid conditions of worship. There are several situations where one will be obligated to take the obligatory bath. Some examples are menstruation, childbirth, intercourse, excretion of semen and others. There are several narrations which specify the situations where one is obligated to perform the obligatory bath. Among them is the hadith of the Prophet PBUH:
إِذَا جَلَسَ بَيْنَ شُعَبِهَا الْأَرْبَعِ ثُمَّ جَهَدَهَا فَقَدْ وَجَبَ الْغَسْلُ
“If one of you sits between her legs (of a woman) and penetrates her, Ghusl (bath) is obligatory.”
Sahih al-Bukhari (291)
Without obligatory bath, all worships performed are invalid. Coming back to the above question, it should be known that the validity of obligatory bath depends on its two requisites; which are intention and wiping water all over the body. Syeikh Salim bin Sumair al-Hadrami, the author of Safinah al-Naja states:
“The requisites for bath are two. Which are; intention and wiping water all over one’s body.” (Refer: Safinah Al-Naja Fi Ma Yajibu Al-Abdi Li Maulahu, pg 2)
If both requisites are fulfilled, then the obligatory bath is valid. Other actions are sunnah and they are too many to be specified. Among them are reciting bismillah, brushing teeth, facing the qibla and others. Al-Khatib al-Syarbini stated that the sunnah of obligatory bath is too may to mention. Five of them are reciting bismillah, taking ablution before the bath, wiping water with one’s hands, muwalat and starting with the right parts of the body. (Refer: Al-Iqna’ Fi Hilli Alfaz Abi Syuja’, 1/63)
As a conclusion, the obligatory bath of someone who brushes his teeth or perform any other actions first is valid. The reason is, the requisites of obligatory bath are intention and wiping water to all parts of the body. Other actions are just sunnah.
Wallhua’lam.