Ruling on rubbing the body with a sponge or loofah when doing ghusl?
Question

                Is it possible to do ghusl by rubbing the body with a sponge, whilst making sure that the hair is washed completely, either by putting it under the tap or running the fingers through it?
Praise be to Allah.
      In 
      the answer to question no. 93056, we stated that 
      when doing ghusl in the case of janaabah, it is sufficient to ensure that 
      water reaches all of the body, and that rubbing or passing the hands over 
      the body when doing ghusl is not obligatory according to the majority of 
      scholars (may Allah have mercy on them), apart from Maalik and some of the 
      scholars who agreed with him (may Allah have mercy on them). 

    An-Nawawi 
    (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Our view is that rubbing the parts of 
    the body when doing ghusl and wudoo’ is Sunnah, not obligatory. If he pours 
    water over himself and makes it reach every part without touching it with 
    his hand, or he immerses himself in a large amount of water, or he stands 
    beneath a downspout or in the rain with the intention of doing ghusl, and it 
    reaches his hair and his skin, this is acceptable for wudoo’ and ghusl. This 
    is the view of all the scholars, except Maalik and al-Muzani, who stipulated 
    that rubbing the skin is essential for ghusl and wudoo’ to be valid.

    End 
    quote from al-Majmoo‘, 2/215 

    Based 
    on that, if a person does ghusl by pouring water over the body and making 
    the water reach every part of the body, this is what is required. If he does 
    more than that, by rubbing his body with a sponge or loofah whilst doing 
    ghusl, there is nothing wrong with that, but it is not obligatory and is not 
    a condition of ghusl being valid, as stated above. 

    This 
    ruling only applies in the case of someone who combines pouring water over 
    the body with rubbing it with a sponge and the like whilst doing ghusl. 

    But 
    if what is meant in the question is the ruling on only passing the sponge 
    over the body whilst doing ghusl, without pouring water on oneself, and 
    being content with whatever dampness gets onto the body from the sponge, 
    then in this case his ghusl is not valid, unless he squeezes the sponge and 
    water flows from it onto his body. In that case, ghusl as prescribed in 
    Islam is done by means of this water that flows onto the body, not by means 
    of merely passing the sponge over the body, even if it is wet. 

    For 
    more information on washing the head and the hair in the case of janaabah, 
    please see the answer to questions no. 27065 and
    163816 

    And 
    Allah knows best.