بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
1. The ejaculation of semen, regardless of whether one is awake or asleep
The prophet (ﷺ) said:
إِنَّمَا الْمَاءُ مِنَ الْمَاءِ
Water (i.e. semen) is only cleansed with water (i.e. ghusl) (Sahīh Muslim 343)
He also (ﷺ) said:
عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ جَاءَتْ أُمُّ سُلَيْمٍ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَسْتَحِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ، فَهَلْ عَلَى الْمَرْأَةِ غُسْلٌ إِذَا احْتَلَمَتْ فَقَالَ “ نَعَمْ إِذَا رَأَتِ الْمَاءَ
Um Salamah narrated: Um Sulaim came to Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) and said, “O Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ)! Verily, Allāh does not shy away from the truth. If a woman has a wet dream, is it essential for her to take ghusl? He replied, “Yes if she sees liquid.” (Sahīh al-Bukhārī 6121)
When one is awake as opposed to when one is asleep, the emerging of the semen has to be due to lust for it to require ghusl. The prophet (ﷺ) said:
إذَا حَذَفْتَ الْمَاءَ فَاغْتَسِلْ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ، فَإِذَا لَمْ تَكُنْ حَاذِفًا فَلَا تَغْتَسِلْ
If the liquid is ejaculated (hadhifat), one must make ghusl due to sexual impurity. If it was not ejaculated (hādhifan), there is no ghusl. (Ahmad 1/107, al-Irwā of Al-Albānī 1/162)
Al-Shawkānī said: Hadhaf means to shoot and this will only occur if there is lust involved. Thus the author [of the book Al-Shawkānì was commenting upon] has said if the semen is emitted not out of lust, such as due to illness or malady, then it is not obligatory to make ghusl. (Nayl al-Awtār 1/275)
If someone experiences a wet dream but sees no fluids, then ghusl is not obligatory. However if one finds the fluids but does not recall the dream, it is obligatory to male ghusl. Āisha narrated:
قَالَتْ سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَجِدُ الْبَلَلَ وَلاَ يَذْكُرُ احْتِلاَمًا قَالَ ” يَغْتَسِلُ ” . وَعَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَرَى أَنَّهُ قَدِ احْتَلَمَ وَلاَ يَجِدُ الْبَلَلَ قَالَ ” لاَ غُسْلَ عَلَيْهِ
The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) was asked about a person who found wetness (on his body or clothes) but did not recall a wet dream. He replied: He should take ghusl. He was asked about a person who remembered that he had a sexual dream but did not find wetness. He replied: Ghusl is not necessary for him. (Abū Dawūd 236. Declared Hasan by Al-Albānī)
2. Sexual intercourse even if one does not ejaculate
The prophet (ﷺ) said:
إِذَا جَلَسَ بَيْنَ شُعَبِهَا الأَرْبَعِ ثُمَّ جَهَدَهَا فَقَدْ وَجَبَ عَلَيْهِ الْغُسْلُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يُنْزِلْ
When a man places himself between her four parts and has sexual intercourse, ghusl becomes obligatory, even if there is no ejaculation. (Sahīh Muslim 348)
3. A non-muslim embracing Islām
عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ، أَنَّهُ أَسْلَمَ فَأَمَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ يَغْتَسِلَ بِمَاءٍ وَسِدْرٍ
Narrated from Qais bin ‘Āsim that he accepted Islām, and the Prophet (ﷺ) commanded him to perform ghusl with water and lotus leaves. (al-Nasā’i 188. Declared Sahīh by Al-Albānī and Al-Arnā’ūt)
4. When the menstrual cycle and post-natal bleeding comes to an end
The prophet (ﷺ) said to Fātimah bint Abī Hubaysh:
فَإِذَا أَقْبَلَتِ الْحَيْضَةُ فَدَعِي الصَّلاَةَ، وَإِذَا أَدْبَرَتْ فَاغْتَسِلِي وَصَلِّي
Leave the prayers when the menses begins and when it has finished, take ghusl and start praying. (Al-Bukhārī 320)
Post-natal bleeding carries the same ruling as menstruation in this manner according to ijmā’ – the concensus of the scholars.
[Imām al-Mundhir said: (the jurists) agreed that women who become pure from their post-natal bleeding must perform ghusl. (Al-Ijmā’ #31)
5. On Fridays
The prophet (ﷺ) said:
الْغُسْلُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ وَاجِبٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُحْتَلِمٍ
Ghusl on Friday is compulsory for every Muhtalim – every Muslim person who has reached puberty (Al-Bukhārī 858)
(All the above has been taken from Al-Wajīz by Dr. ‘Abdul-‘Adhīm al-Badawī pg. 60-62)
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