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Women require Ghusl after intercourse or when they have wet dreams

Question

When exactly do women require Ghusl?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

Women require Ghusl in the following two cases:

1- After intercourse when the two private parts meet [when the top of the penis is inserted in the vagina] even if the man does not ejaculate, both of the man and woman are obliged to perform Ghusl.

2- If a woman ejaculates either by having a wet dream or because of foreplay.

The evidence about the first case is the saying of the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ): "If a man sits between her legs and inserts his private parts in hers, then it is an obligation on them to perform Ghusl." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] The narration reported by Muslim may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him reads: "Even if he does not ejaculate." The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) further said: "If the two private parts meet and the male inserts his private parts in the woman’s, then they must perform Ghusl."

As regards the evidence on the second case: It is confirmed that Umm Salamah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her narrated that Umm Sulaym  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her came to the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) and asked him: "O Prophet of Allaah, Allaah is not shy of the truth, is a woman obliged to perform Ghusl if she has a wet dream? The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, replied: "Yes, if she sees the (white) discharges.” So Umm Salamah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her laughed and asked in amazement: “Does a woman have wet dreams?” He replied: “Yes, how is it then that her child resembles her?" [Al-Bukhari]

Furthermore, Anas  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him narrated that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "If a woman finds in her dream what a man finds (wet dreams), then she has to perform Ghusl." [Abu Daawood]

Allaah Knows best.

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