Question:

I’m sorry if my question is a bit crude. After having intercourse, my husband’s penis which is still wet came in contact with the bedsheets. Before performing the Subuh prayer, my husband sat on the bedsheet while he was wearing the clothes that he’ll wear for prayer. What is the ruling of the clothes being worn in prayer?

Answer:

Imam al-Nawaiw stated that semen is the fluid excreted during orgasm and followed by exhaustion. As for urethral fluid (mazi), it is excreted when someone is in thinking or desiring intercourse and it isn’t followed by exhaustion. [1]

Syeikh Daud bin Abdullah al-Fathani defined urethral fluid as a clear white fluid, smooth and sticky, which is excreted at the beginning of lust or when a husband is being intimate while flirting with his wife and kissing her. It isn’t secreted in spurts and isn’t followed by relaxation of refraction of the penis, sometimes it is unconsciously secreted. It is considered as najis and if it came in contact with a person’s clothing, then it cannot be worn in prayer but has to be washed off first. However, secretion of mazi doesn’t obligate the obligatory bath. [2]

Narrated from Sahl bin Hanif, he said:

كُنْتُ أَلْقَى مِنَ الْمَذْىِ شِدَّةً وَعَنَاءً فَكُنْتُ أُكْثِرُ مِنْهُ الْغُسْلَ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ إِنَّمَا يُجْزِئُكَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْوُضُوءُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ بِمَا يُصِيبُ ثَوْبِي مِنْهُ قَالَ ‏”‏ يَكْفِيكَ أَنْ تَأْخُذَ كَفًّا مِنْ مَاءٍ فَتَنْضَحَ بِهِ ثَوْبَكَ حَيْثُ تَرَى أَنَّهُ أَصَابَ مِنْهُ

“I suffered from a severe and troubling case of Al-Madhi. I was performing Ghusl often because of it. So, I mentioned that to Allah’s Messenger and asked him about it. He said: “You only need to perform Wudu for that.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah! How about when it gets on my clothes?” He said: “It is sufficient for you to take a handful of water and sprinkle it n your garment wherever you see that it has touched it.” [3]

This may be so, but there is an exception in matters that are hard to be avoided. For example, dampness or wetness on the husband’s penis or wife’s vagina after intercourse. The fluid is forgiven although is it is mixed with najis such as mazi. Vaginal fluid such as the white clear fluid of which can’t be ascertained as to whether it is mazi or sweat. [4] This fluid is excreted from the outer vaginal area when a woman squats. This outer vaginal area is the area where the penis enters during intercourse according to the most sahih opinion. [5]

Basically, Syafi’iyyah scholars have differing opinions as to whether the vaginal fluid is pure or otherwise. However, according to al-Baghawi and al-Rafi’e, the sahih opinion is that it is pure. Al-Mawardi also stated, Imam al-Syafie emphasized the purity of vaginal fluid in his books. [6] Syeikh ‘Abu Bakr Uthman bin Muhammad Syata al-Dimyathi al-Bakri stated, “It (isn’t obligatory to be washed) vaginal fluid. Whether it is pure or najis for it is categorized in the second category [of najis] of which it is forgiven. It doesn’t make other things that came in contact with it najis [the private parts of another person that has intercourse with her, ovum, and newly born baby]. [7]” This opinion is supported by Syeikh Sula []iman bin Umar bin Mansur al-‘Ujaili, who he said, the fluid that is secreted from the vagina which is obligatory to be washed (the outer vaginal area when she squats or the outer limits of the vagina), doesn’t make the penis najis when she has intercourse for it is ruled as pure. [8]

Hence, the wet penis of the husband which came in contact with the bedsheet doesn’t make the bedsheet najis. The prayer clothing is also isn’t considered to have najis on it. Although if one is concerned that there may be mazi on the bedsheet, then he can wash the damp area to avoid the khilaf. This facilitation isn’t applicable if the dampness is a result of fornication or masturbation for the Islamic legal maxim states:

الرخص لا تناط بالمعاصي

“Facilitation cannot be taken for sinful matters.”

Wallahu a’lam.

[1] Al-Majmū Sharḥ al-Muhadhdhab, 2/141.

[2] Matlaʿ al-Badrayn wa Majmaʿ al-Bahrayn, 1/85.

[3] Narrated by al-Tirmizi, no. 115.

[4] Al-Majmū Sharḥ al-Muhadhdhab, 2/570.

[5] Ḥashiyah al-Bujayrimī ‘ala al-Khāṭib, 1/108.

[6] Al-Majmū Sharḥ al-Muhadhdhab, 2/570

[7] Iʿānat al-Ṭālibīn, 1/104.

[8] Ḥāshiyah al-Jamal ʿalā Sharḥ al-Minhaj, 1/178.