Is Sperm Unclean According to Islam? Find the Answer Here!

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Is Sperm Unclean According to Islam? ~ Hi, dear readers! In this article, we will discuss a topic related to everyday life, especially concerning men, though women may also benefit from understanding it. This discussion often revolves around scenarios such as nocturnal emissions in men or the occurrence of sperm coming into contact with clothing during marital intimacy.

But here's the question: If clothing stained by sperm has been washed but still shows marks, are those marks considered pure or impure in Islam? Can such clothing be used for prayer?

To answer these questions, we will refer to a hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that sheds light on this matter.

Hadith About Sperm

The relevant hadith is as follows:

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ : كَانَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَغْسِلُ الْمَنِيَّ ثُمَّ يَخْرُجُ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فِيْ ذَلِكَ الثَّوْبِ وَأَنَا أَنْظُرُ إِلَى أَثَرِ الْغُسْلِ . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ . وَلِمُسْلِمٍ : لَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَفْرُكُهُ مِنْ ثَوْبِ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَرْكًا فَيُصَلِّى فِيْهِ . وَفِيْ لَفْظٍ : لَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَحُكُّهُ يَابِسًا بِظُفْرِيْ مِنْ ثَوْبِهِ

From Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would wash the sperm stains from his clothes, then go out to perform prayers in the same clothes while I could still see the wet traces of washing." (Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Muslim also narrated: "I used to scrape the dried sperm stains off the clothes of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with my nails, and he would pray in them."

Islamic Perspective on Sperm

From this hadith, we understand that Allah has honored and dignified humans by considering their origin (sperm) sacred and pure. This is further emphasized by Aisha's action of cleaning the Prophet's clothes, either by washing the wet stains or scraping off the dried ones.

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However, scholars in Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) hold differing opinions regarding the status of sperm:

Sperm is Impure (Najis)

Some scholars, such as Abu Hanifah, Malik, and Ahmad (in one opinion), argue that sperm is impure. They base this on the following narration by Ammar:

إِنَّمَا تَغْسِلُ ثَوْبَكَ مِنَ الْغَائِطِ وَالْبَوْلِ وَالْمَنِيِّ وَالدَّمِ وَالْقَيْئِ

"Indeed, you must wash your clothes from feces, urine, sperm, blood, and vomit."

Their reasoning is that sperm originates from the same area as urine, which is impure. Imam Malik also interpreted the hadith from Aisha differently, suggesting that the purity of the Prophet's sperm might have been a unique characteristic given to him.

Sperm is Pure (Tahir)

On the other hand, scholars like Ash-Shafi'i, his followers, and Ahmad (in his stronger opinion) argue that sperm is pure. They base their opinion on the following hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas:

عَنْ اِبْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : سُئِلَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنِ الْمَنِيِّ الَّذِيْ يُصِيْبُ الثَّوْبَ , قَالَ : إِنَّمَا هُوَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْمَخَاطِ وَالْبَزَاقِ وَالْبُصَاقِ , وَقَالَ : إِنَّمَا يَكْفِيْكَ أَنْ تَمْسَحَهُ بِخَرْقَةٍ أَوِ ادَّخَرَةٍ . أَخْرَجَهُ الدّارُقُطْنِيُّ وَالْبَيْهَقِيُّ

From Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was asked about sperm on clothing. He replied, 'It is similar to mucus or saliva. You can simply wipe it with a cloth.'" (Narrated by ad-Daruqutni and al-Bayhaqi)

Conclusion

The difference of opinion among scholars reflects the richness of Islamic jurisprudence. While some consider sperm impure and necessitate washing, others deem it pure, requiring only wiping or scraping when dried.

For those seeking clarity in practice, following one's school of thought or consulting a trusted scholar is the best approach.

May this article help provide useful insights into the topic of whether sperm is unclean in Islam. See you in the next article!