Additional rules concerning ghusl

In order to purify one’s self from hadath-e-akbar, ghusl is fard. There are four causes of hadath-e-akbar:

The First Cause

The first cause is the coming out of semen. That is, the coming out of semen from its place and out of the body with desire. This is irrespective of whether it comes out while one is asleep or awake, unconscious or conscious, through sexual intercourse or without sexual intercourse, by thinking or imagining, or by fondling one’s private part, or in any other way.

1. If the semen was ejaculated from its place with desire, but at the time of actually coming out of the private part there was no desire, even then ghusl will become fard. For example, the semen came out of its place with desire but he sealed the exit by holding it with his hand or placed cotton wool or something else over it. After some time when his desire or excitement subsided, he removed his hand or the cotton wool from the exit and the semen came out without any desire. Even then ghusl will be fard.

2. Semen came out of his penis and he made ghusl. After having made ghusl, semen came out again without desire. In this case, the first ghusl will be nullified and it will be fard to make ghusl again. This is on the condition that this second semen comes out before sleeping, or before urinating, or before taking forty steps or more. But if he read salaat before this semen could come out a second time, the salaat will be valid and it will not be necessary to repeat it.

3. After urinating, semen came out of a persons penis. Ghusl will be fard on him as long as it came out with desire.

4. If anyone (man or woman) awakens from his sleep and notices some wetness on his body or clothing, then there can be many possibilities in this. From among these possibilities, ghusl will become fard in eight conditions:

1. a person has conviction or is quite sure that it is semen and even remembers having a wet dream,
2. he is convinced that it is semen but does not remember having a wet dream,
3. he is convinced that it is pre-coital fluid (mazi) and even remembers having a wet dream,
4. he is not sure as to whether it is semen or pre-coital fluid but remembers having a wet dream,
5. he is not sure as to whether it is semen or wadi (liquid that precedes urine) but remembers having a wet dream,
6. he is not sure as to whether it is pre-coital fluid or wadi but remembers having a wet dream,
7. he is not sure as to whether it is mani, mazi, or wadi but remembers having a wet dream,
8. he is not sure as to whether it is mani or mazi and does not even remember having a wet dream.

5. A person has not circumcised himself and semen comes out from his penis and goes into that skin which is removed when circumcision takes place. Ghusl will become fard on him even though the semen may not have come out of that skin.

The Second Cause

The second cause of hadath-e-akbar is insertion (eelaaj). That is, the insertion of the glans of the penis with desire into the vagina of a living woman or into the anus of any other person irrespective of whether the person is a man, woman or hermaphrodite and irrespective of whether semen comes out or not. Ghusl will become fard on both of them if the condition is found in both of them, i.e. if both of them have reached the age of puberty. If this condition is only found in one of them, ghusl will only be fard on the one in whom the condition is found.

1. If a woman is under age but not so small that if one has intercourse with her there is a fear of the vaginal tissues tearing to such an extent that the vagina and anus will virtually come together; then by the insertion of the glans of the penis into her vagina ghusl will become fard on the man if he has reached the age of puberty. (However, if there is the aforementioned fear in a very minor girl, then mere insertion of the penis does not render ghusl obligatory.)

2. If a person whose testicles have been cut off inserts his penis into the back part of anyone or the vagina of a woman, ghusl will be fard on both of them if both are mature. Alternatively, it will be fardon the one who is mature.

3. If the glans of a person has been cut off, it will be calculated according to the balance of his organ. That is, if from the balance of his organ, he inserts equal to the extent of the glans, ghusl will be fard. If it is less than that, it will not be fard.

4. If a man wraps his private part with a cloth, etc. and then inserts it, then ghusl will become fard if he can perceive the heat of the body. However caution demands that it becomes fard irrespective of whether one feels the heat or not.

5. If a woman inserts the penis of a man who has no desire, the penis of an animal, a stick or any other object, or her own finger into her vagina out of passion – even then ghusl will become fard on her irrespective of whether seminal fluid comes out or not.

The Third Cause

Purification after menstruation.

The Fourth Cause

Purification after nifaas.