Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

like the touch of urine makes one "napaak",does the touch of semen also do the same?
is it necessary to take a bath and purify yourself fully after the realease of semen/intercourse? 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Semen impure ghusl

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: like the touch of urine makes one "napaak",does the touch of semen also do the same?

All the scholars and the jurists in Islam are unanimous in their opinion that urine is absolutely ‘najis’ and impure, and one must thoroughly wash the parts of the body or the clothes it may have touched, before they can make themselves available for prayer.

There is a difference of opinion amongst the scholars regarding the ‘mani’ or semen being ‘najis’ and impure; although some scholars consider semen as impure as urine, the majority of the scholars are of the opinion that semen is not impure like urine, and one needs to wash the clothes only if and when the semen is wet; but if the semen has dried, one need not wash the clothes as a mere sprinkling of some water, or scraping it off the clothes would suffice.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 572 Narrated by Aisha

Abdullah ibn Shihab al-Khawlani reported: ‘I stayed in the house of Aisha (r.a.) and had a wet dream (and perceived its effect on my garment), so (in the morning) I dipped both (the clothes) in water. This (act of mine) was watched by a maid-servant of Aisha (r.a.) and she informed her. She (Aisha (r.a.)) sent me a message: ‘What prompted you to act like this with your clothes?’ He (the narrator) said: ‘I told that I saw in a dream what a sleeper sees.’ She said: ‘Did you find (wet fluid) on your clothes?’ I said: ‘No’. She said: ‘Had you found anything you should have washed it. In case I found that (semen) on the garment of the Messenger of Allah (saws) dried up, I scraped it off with my nails.’

Said Aishah (r.a.), "I used to scratch the semen off the Messenger of Allah's (saws) clothes if it was dry, and wash it off if it was still wet."

Related by ad-Daraqutni, Abu 'Awanah and al-Bazzar.

Your Question: is it necessary to take a bath and purify yourself fully after the realease of semen/intercourse? 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 6 (part):

6 O ye who believe! When ye prepare for prayer wash your faces and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles. If ye are in a state of ceremonial impurity (post sexual intercourse, post menstruation, etc.) bathe your whole body.

Abu Sa'eed (r.a.) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say, "’Ghusl’ (full bath of purification) is (needed) after (ejaculation of) sperm."

Related by Muslim.

Ali (r.a.) reported that the Prophet (saws) said to him, "If sperm is ejaculated, perform ‘ghusl’." Related by Abu Dawud.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 684 (part) Narrated by Abu Musa

Hadrat Aisha (r.a.) said that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘When anyone sits amidst four parts (for sexual intercourse) and the private organs (so much as) touch each other, a ‘ghusl’ (full bath of purification) becomes obligatory.’

Indeed if one has had sexual intercourse, or one’s private organ has so much as touched or come in contact with one’s spouse’s private organ, or one has experienced a wet-dream, or one has experienced a full sexual discharge (semen)….one would be considered to be in a state of major ceremonial impurity and it would be absolutely obligatory for the person to perform a ‘ghusl’ or full bath of purification before they make themselves available for prayer.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan