PURIFICATION
The following invalidates the wiping:
1
The end of the permissible time period for wiping.
2
Post-sex impurity.
3
Removal of the socks. If (i) or (iii) occurs while the person was in a state of
purity, he need only wash his feet.
Ghusl,
the complete ablution
Ghusl
means to wash the entire body with water. Says Allah in the Qur’an, “If you are
sexually impure, purify yourselves.” And, “They question you concerning
menstruation. Say: It is an illness, so let women alone at such times and do
not have sex with them until they are cleansed” (al-Baqarah 222).
a:
Discharge of al-Mani owing to stimulation while asleep or awake
The
opinion of the jurists in general is that ghusl is a must should one have a
discharge of al-mani (sperm) owing to stimulation while asleep or awake. Abu
Sa’eed reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, say,
“Water (washing) is (needed) after (ejaculation of) sperm.” (Related by
Muslim.)
Umm
Salamah reported that Umm Sulaim said, “O Messenger of Allah, Allah is not
ashamed of the truth. Does a woman have to perform ghusl if she has a wet
dream?” He said, “Yes, if she sees the liquid.” (Related by al-Bukhari, Muslim
and others.)
There
are some other points of importance that need to be noted:
b:
If the sperm is discharged without any type of stimulation (owing to illness or
extreme cold)
In
this case, ghusl is not obligatory. ‘Ali reported that the Prophet, upon whom
be peace, said to him, “If sperm is ejaculated, perform ghusl.” (Related by Abu
Dawud).
Said
Mujahid, “We were in a meeting in the mosque with the companions of Ibn ‘Abbas
(Tawus, Sa’eed ibn Jubair and ‘Ikrimah). When he stood to pray, a man came in
and said, ‘Is there one who can give a legal verdict?’ We said, ‘Ask your
question.’ He said, ‘Whenever I urinate, a liquid always follows it.’ We asked,
‘Is it the type of liquid that gives birth to children?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ We
said, ‘Then you have to perform ghusl.’ The man went away. Ibn ‘Abbas hurried
to finish his prayer, after which he told ‘Ikrimah to bring the man back. He
turned to us and said, ‘Is your verdict found in the Book of Allah?’ We said,
‘No.’ He asked, ‘Is it based on the sayings of the Prophet, upon whom be
peace?’
We said, ‘No.’ ‘Then from what?’ We said,
‘From our opinion.’ He said, ‘That is why the Messenger of Allah said that one
learned man is more difficult for Satan than a thousand worshippers.’ The man
came and faced Ibn ‘Abbas, who said to him, ‘When that happens, is it owing to
any stimulation?’ He answered, ‘No.’ Ibn ‘Abbas asked, ‘Do you feel any
numbness in your body?’ He answered, ‘No.’ Said Ibn ‘Abbas, ‘That is from the
cold. Ablution is sufficient.”’
If
one has a wet dream but does not find any traces of ejaculation
There
is no need for ghusl in this instance either. Ibn al-Munzhir said, “All of the
knowledgeable people known to me agree on this point.” The hadith of Umm
Salamah mentioned earlier supports this
a:
If one wakes from sleep and finds some moistness, but does not recall any wet
dream, though he is sure it is sperm, what should he do? To be safe, he should
perform ghusl. Said Mujahid and Qatadah, “There is no need for ghusl until he
is sure that it is sperm, for his prior condition of purity is not ended by an
uncertainty.
b:
If a man squeezes his penis to prevent ejaculation
This
also makes ghusl unnecessary. This is based on the hadith which states that
ghusl is required if the sperm can be seen. But, if the person walks and cannot
control his ejaculation. he must perform ghusl.
Sperm
on the clothes during prayer
If
a man does not know how the sperm got on his clothes, and he has already
prayed, should he perform ghusl and repeat all of his prayers since the last
time he slept? If he thinks that it happened before his most recent sleep, he
should repeat all of his prayers since the supposed time of his ejaculation.
a:
Touching the two circumcised parts
This
refers to the penis and the vagina. If one’s penis has entered his wife’s
vagina, ghusl is obligatory even if there was no ejaculation. Says Allah, “If
you are sexually impure, purify yourselves.” Commenting on the subject,
ash-Shaifi says, “In the Arabic language, sexual impurity refers to any type of
sexual intercourse, regardless of whether sperm was ejaculated or not. If
someone says, ‘So and so is sexually impure due to so and so,’ it refers to any
type of sexual intercourse between them, even if there was no ejaculation. No
one disagrees that the fornication which requires the prescribed punishment is
sexual intercourse, even if there is no ejaculation.”
Abu
Hurairah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, “When anyone sits
between the four parts of her body and exerts himself (has intercourse),
bathing becomes obligatory (for both).” (Related by Ahmad and Muslim.)
Sa’eed
ibn al-Musayyab reported that Abu Musa al-Ash’ari said to ‘Aishah, “I would
like to ask you something, but I am embarrassed.” She said, “Ask and don’t be
shy, for I am your mother.” He asked about a man who had intercourse but did
not ejaculate. She said, on the authority of the Prophet, “If the two
circumcised parts encountered each other, ghusl is obligatory.”
This
hadith is related by Ahmad and Malik with different wordings. There is no doubt
that there must be insertion; if there is only touching, ghusl is not
obligatory for either. All scholars agree on this point.
b:
Women and their period
Concerning
menstruation and childbirth bleeding, Allah says in the Qur’an, “Do not
approach them until they become pure. When they are pure, go to them in the
manner that Allah has prescribed for you.” The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be
peace, said to Fatimah bint Abu Habish, “Do not pray during your period. After
it has ended, perform ghusl and pray.” (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
Post-childbirth
bleeding is treated in a similar manner, according to the consensus of the
companions.
If
a woman gives birth and has no flow of blood afterwards, some scholars say that
she must perform ghusl, while others say that it would not be necessary. There
is no textual authority on this latter point.
To
be continued
