Purification and Cleanliness in Islam

	Purification /Cleanliness
	Physical /External /Ablution				spiritual /Internal /Inner
	Lesser (Small) form (wudu)		Major (greater) form (ghusl)
	Obligatory	Optional	Obligatory	Optional
When	Theoretically ritual purification would remain valid throughout the day, but is treated as invalid on the occurrence of certain acts, -   flatulence, -   sleep, -   contact with the opposite gender (depending on which school of thought), -   unconsciousness, -   and the emission of blood, semen, or vomit. Some schools of thought mandate that ritual purity is necessary for holding the Qur'an.		-   by a woman after she ceases menstruation, -   on a corpse that didn't die during battle -   and after sexual activity,	It is used on other occasions, for example -    just prior to Friday prayers -   or entering ihram.	Clean your: -   mind -   heart -   soul from the effect of the sin by repentance
How	The activities of the lesser form include beginning with the -   intention to purify oneself, -   washing of the face, -   arms, -   Wiping  head, -   and feet.	-   Recitation of the Bismillah, -   Oral hygiene / the brushing of the teeth, -   the washing of the mouth, nose at the beginning, -   washing of arms to the elbows -   and washing of the ears at the end; -   additionally recitation of the Shahadah.	It is completed by first performing wudu and then ensuring that the entire body is washed. Some minor details of Islamic ritual purification may vary between different schools of thought as well as scholarly opinions and between the different sects of Islam.

Dry ablution (Tayammum) involving clean sand or earth, is used if clean water is not available or if suffering from an illness which would be worsened by the use of water; this form is invalidated in the same circumstances as the other forms, and also whenever water becomes available and safe to use. And it is also necessary to be repeated (renewed) before every obligatory prayer.