What is meant by Ihtilaam and when does this affect the Ghusl?
Query 1:
What is meant by Ihtilaam and when does this affect the Ghusl?
Answer:
Ihtilaam refers to nocturnal emissions or a wet-dream. In other words, a person went to sleep and when he awoke he found some wetness on his body or clothing and he is either confident or suspects that it is either semen or ‘Mazee’, i.e. pre-ejaculation fluid, then in such a case, Ghusl becomes Waajib (compulsory) upon him, even though he does not remember dreaming anything.
Query 2:
What if he is confident that it is not ‘Manee’ semen, i.e. sperm or ‘Mazee’?
Answer:
If he has complete confidence that it is neither ‘Manee’ nor ‘Mazee’, but rather it is perspiration, urine or Wadi, i.e. refers to Urinary fluid or some other liquid substance, then even though he remembers having Ihtilaam and he remembers the pleasure of seminal discharge, the Ghusl will still not be regarded as Waajib upon him.
Query 3:
What if he is sure that it is not semen, but he doubts that it could possibly be ‘Mazee’?
Answer:
If he is completely confident that it was not semen but he has a doubt that it could be Mazee, however, he cannot remember having nocturnal emissions in the dream then Ghusl is not Waajib upon him, otherwise it is Waajib.
Query 4:
Will Ghusl be Waajib upon him if there are no traces of Ihtilaam?
Answer:
If he remembers having Ihtilaam but there is no trace of it on the clothing etc. then Ghusl is not Waajib upon him.
References:
Bahar e Shariat vol. 2, Sadr al-Shariah Allama Amjad Ali Aazmi
[ English Translation ]
Mufti Afthab Cassim al-Qadri Ridawi Noori,
Imam Mustafa Raza Research Center,
Durban, South Africa.