Source: Fatāwā Shaykh al-Ḥadīth Mubārakpūrī, Vol. 1, p. 178
Question:
If a man, while awake, engages in intimacy with his wife without intercourse and experiences ejaculation, does ghusl become obligatory in such a case? And does it invalidate the fast?
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
Obligation of Ghusl
✔ If, while awake, ejaculation occurs due to intimacy without penetration, and the ejaculation happens with desire and force (dafiq), then ghusl becomes obligatory.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«إنما الماء من الماء»
“Ghusl is only due to the emission of semen.”
(al-Tirmidhī, Kitāb al-Ṭahārah, ḥadīth no. 110)
Ejaculation in Sleep
✔ If a person wakes up from sleep and finds wetness on his clothes and is certain it is semen, then ghusl is obligatory, whether or not he recalls a dream.
✔ If semen exits, whether with desire and force or otherwise, ghusl is required in both cases.
(See Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī, Vol. 1, p. 112)
Effect on Fasting
✔ If during fasting a man kisses or caresses his wife and ejaculation occurs, then:
- The fast is broken, and
- Qadāʾ (making up the fast) is obligatory.
❖ However, Imām Ibn Ḥazm al-Ẓāhirī (رحمه الله) differed.
- He held the opinion that ejaculation without intercourse does not invalidate the fast.
- He argued strongly in favor of this position and adopted it.
(See Fatḥ al-Bārī, Vol. 4, p. 15)
Conclusion
✿ Ejaculation without penetration during wakefulness requires ghusl.
✿ If this occurs during fasting, the fast is nullified and must be made up, according to the majority of scholars.
✿ A minority view (Ibn Ḥazm) holds that the fast remains valid, but this is not the stronger opinion.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
(al-Muḥaddith Dehlī, Vol. 8, Issue 10, Muḥarram 1360H / Feb. 1941)
