Ruling on Prayers Performed in Clothes Stained with Semen – Detailed Sharʿi Guidance
Source: Ahkam wa Masail, Vol. 01, in the light of Qur’an and Hadith
❖ Question
If semen is present on a person’s clothes without his knowledge, and he performs several prayers in those clothes, then later realizes it — does he need to repeat those prayers or not?
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʿAmma Baʿd!
According to the stronger opinion (rājiḥ qawl), semen is ṭāhir (pure). This ruling is based on the following authentic narrations from Umm al-Mu’minīn ʿĀʾishah (RA):
✿ Evidences from Hadith
Narration in al-Bukhārī and Muslim (Muttafaq ʿalayh):ʿĀʾishah (RA) said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would wash off semen and then go to prayer wearing the same garment, and I could still see the traces of water on it.”
Narration in Saḥīḥ Muslim:“I used to scrape semen from the garment of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he would pray in it.”
Another narration:“I would scrape off the dried semen with my nail from the garment of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
Narration in Musnad Aḥmad:ʿĀʾishah (RA) said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would clean semen from his clothes using a blade of fragrant grass (idhkhar), and then pray in that garment. He would scrape off dried semen and then perform prayer in it.”
(Musnad Aḥmad, vol. 6, p. 243; also reported in Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah. Al-Albānī graded it ḥasan in Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl, vol. 1, p. 197)
✿ Meaning of Semen Being Ṭāhir
- If semen touches clothing, it does not render the garment impure.
- Thus, if someone prays in such a garment, there is no harm.
❖ Conclusion
Prayers already performed unknowingly in clothes stained with semen are valid.
There is no need to repeat them.
Reference: al-Mughnī by Ibn Qudāmah, vol. 1, p. 763ھذا ما عندی واللہ ٲعلم بالصواب
