Does repeated nocturnal emission necessitate ghusl every time, or can the first instance be considered semen and the second madhiy (pre-seminal fluid), especially given the difficulty of performing ghusl, and how can one differentiate between them?
Ghusl (ritual bath) becomes obligatory if a person experiences a wet dream before engaging in an act that requires purity from major ritual impurity. It is not permissible to consider semen as pre-seminal fluid (madhy) if the characteristics of semen are known: its smell is like that of palm spathe or egg when dry, and its emission is accompanied by pleasure, followed by a weakening of desire. As for madhy, it is a thin, whitish, sticky fluid that is discharged upon arousal without gushing and is not followed by a weakening of desire. It is impure and nullifies ablution (wudu) but does not necessitate ghusl. Semen, on the other hand, is pure according to the preponderant opinion and necessitates ghusl.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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