Question # 377: Assalaamu Alaikkum, I am suffering from heavy waswas, which leads to checking my private parts for Madhiyy/Maniyy regularly, leaving prayer & doing Wudoo again , doing ghusl every day. Because of this I always afraid to touch Quran. On my working days, I skip zuhr, Asar prayers because of difficultness in washing underwear & private parts, & somedays I succeed & I perform prayer. I have seen many topics, discussion on many sites which helped me to understand & Maniy, Wadiy and Madhiy. Subhhanallaah, things got better in Ramadan month, I ignored whispers, even if I feel irritate and get bad thoughts Today I upset, not sure if my Fasting is Valid. After completing Suhur, I went to toilet to relive myself, during that time, I got bad thoughts and I felt urine coming slowly with irritation. I checked it didn’t look like urine or Maniyy. But the irritation remained same, & i feel something is heavy, so i tried to pee in force. When I did, instead of urine, i feel something gushes out in 2 to 3 seconds & stopped. In Basin, it looked like Maniyy because of white fluid lookalike, after that irritation stopped. I discussed with my wife, she said it is Shaitan whisper & if you are not sure, do FAJR & then do ghusl in morning.(Because I did ghusl before Suhur & it will be embarrassment if I do again when other family members are around). I did FAJR, & I skipped ghusl on morning. Because of I felt if I did, it will be certain, FAJR was not valid, & i broke my fast. Please advice & make dua for me.

bismi-llahi r-raḥmani r-raḥīm,

Assalamu ‘laikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

All praise and thanks are due to Allah (سبحانه و تعالى), and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم).

Dear questioner,

First of all, we implore Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) to help us serve His cause and render our work for His sake.

Shorter Answer: Due to the severe Waswas (whispers), I highly recommend you NOT to check your private area to start with. Also, do not check your underwear, just use the restroom and relieve yourself as needed, wash your privates like others do, make wudu and pray while having a peace of mind. Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) will accept your prayers and other ibadah for sure. The way that you treat this issue for the time being creates nothing but more irritation and hesitance.

Only when you ejaculate seminal fluid associated with sexual pleasure – which happens usually during intimate relation with your spouse – ghusl is required. However, when you are positive that there is recognizable prostatic fluid (Madhiy), no ghusl is required. [In such case, you should wash your private part and make wudu’ and In Sha Allah your fast was not invalidated. Since you broke your fast, you have to make up the day.] Also Please Refer to Question # 282

(The above answer – shorter version has been provided by Dr. Main Khalid Al-Qudah, Member of the Fatwa Committee of Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America)

Long Answer: What comes out following urination is usually wadiy, which is a thick, white liquid that comes out in the form of drops. As for madhiy (prostatic fluid), it is what comes out following provocation of desire.

Both of them invalidate wudu’, but they do not necessitate ghusl …As for ghusl (full ablution), you do not have to do it; rather you have to do wudu’.

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said, explaining the difference between madhiy and wadiy: As for madhiy, it is a sticky, thin, clear fluid that is emitted with or without desire; it does not gush out in spurts, and it is not followed by exhaustion; and one may not feel it coming out. It happens to both men and women.

As for wadiy, it is a thick, darkish fluid that resembles maniy (semen) in its thickness, but differs from it in color, and it has no smell. It comes out following urination, when one is constipated, or when carrying something heavy, and it comes out in the form of one or two drops and the like. The scholars are unanimously agreed that it is not required to do ghusl when madhiy and wadiy are emitted. (al-Majmoo‘)

Shaykh Ibn Jibreen (may Allah preserve him) was asked: At the end of urination, I notice some seminal fluid (maniy) coming out, and I do not know whether I have to do ghusl every time I urinate, or what should I do? Because I am not sure whether it has the same effect as intercourse?

He replied: This “maniy” that comes out after urination is wadiy, which is well known (and is not actually maniy). As it comes out after urination and comes out in a stream (as opposed to gushing out), it does not necessitate ghusl. However, it does invalidate wudu’, so the penis should be washed after that, then one should do wudu’, but it is not necessary to do ghusl. Ghusl is only required when maniy gushes out in spurts accompanied by feelings of pleasure, and is not required otherwise. As gushing out in spurts forcefully is not like the emission of urine, which comes out in a stream or in drops, it does not matter if it comes out like that. (Fataawa Islamiyyah)

Next, you should beware of waswasah (whispers from the Shaytaan), for it is a disease and an evil that can cause a person to worry and generate doubt in his mind, making worship burdensome for him. So, beware of that. When you have relieved yourself, done wudu’ and prayed, do not pay any attention to doubts, because the basic principle is that one is pure and that prayers are valid.

Next, [with respect to fasting,] causing the emission of maniy is one of the things that invalidates the fast, if that happens as a result of intercourse or touching, or repeatedly looking at women, then the fast is invalidated. With regard to madhiy, the scholars differed as to whether it invalidates the fast if a person causes it to be emitted.

The view of the Hanbalis is that it does invalidate the fast if it is caused direct physical contact, such as by touching, kissing, etc. But if the cause is repeatedly looking, then it does not invalidate the fast.

Abu Hanifah and al-Shafi’i are of the view that emission of madhiy does not invalidate the fast in any case, whether it is caused by direct physical contact or otherwise, and that what invalidates the fast is emission of maniy not madhiy. (al-Mughni)

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’, after quoting the view of the Hanbalis on this issue: There is no sound evidence to support that, because madhiy is of a lesser status than maniy with regard to desire, and does not cause a person to be tired after emitting it, so it cannot be likened to it.

The correct view is that if a person has direct physical contact and emits madhiy… this does not invalidate the fast, and his fast is still valid.  This is the view favored by Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him). The proof for this is the fact that there is no proof to support the view that emission of madhiy invalidates the fast, because this fast is an act of worship that the person started as prescribed in shari’ah and it cannot be regarded as having been invalidated unless there is evidence to that effect.

(The Long Answer is based on various answers provided by Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid on the topic)

Allahu A’lam (Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) knows best) and all Perfections belong to Allah, and all mistakes belong to me alone. May Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) forgive me, Ameen.

Wassalaam