Is ghusl obligatory if one feels semen move during a wet dream, then later finds white or transparent drops floating on the surface of the urine, knowing that no trace of semen is seen immediately after waking and that one suffers from urinary incontinence?
If a person experiences a wet dream but finds no wetness or dry semen, then ghusl (ritual bath) is not required of him, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "If she sees water," and his saying: "Ghusl is not required of him" regarding someone who thinks he had a wet dream but sees no wetness. However, if he wakes up and sees semen but does not recall a wet dream, then ghusl is required of him. Ghusl is not necessitated by the mere movement of semen, according to the majority of jurists. If, upon waking, one sees small, white, thread-like, discontinuous drops, and this occurs before urination, then it is likely semen, and ghusl is obligatory. However, if it occurs after urination, then it is likely wady (a thick white fluid that sometimes exits after urination) and does not necessitate ghusl. If a person is unsure whether the discharge is semen or wady, the Shafi'i school of thought holds that he has a choice: he may consider it semen and perform ghusl, or consider it wady and perform ablution (wudu) and wash whatever it stained.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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