(INDEX OF TAHAARAH)

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: (a) a person has conviction or is quite sure that it is semen and even remembers having a wet dream, (b) he is convinced that it is semen but does not remember having a wet dream, (c) he is convinced that it is pre-coital fluid (mazi) and even remembers having a wet dream, (d) he is not sure as to whether it is semen or pre-coital fluid but remembers having a wet dream, (e) he is not sure as to whether it is semen or wadi (liquid that precedes urine) but remembers having a wet dream, (f) he is not sure as to whether it is pre-coital fluid or wadi but remembers having a wet dream, (g) he is not sure as to whether it is mani, mazi, or wadi but remembers having a wet dream, (h) 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.