Fatwa: # 17000
Category: Misc. Fiqh
Country: United States
Date: 10th August 2008

Title

I am a muslim female and want to know what ehtelaam is. I know you have to make ghusl after ehtelaam but what is it? I think it is an urdu word.

Question

I am a muslim female and want to know what ehtelaam is. I know you have to make ghusl after ehtelaam but what is it? I think it is an urdu word.

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Ehtelaam is a wet dream.  If anyone (man or woman) awakens from his sleep and notices some wetness on his body or clothing, then there can be many possibilities in this.  Ghusl will become fardh in the following conditions:
1) a person has conviction or is quite sure that it is semen and even remembers having a wet dream
2) he is convinced that it is semen but does not remember having a wet dream
3) he is convinced that it is pre-coital fluid (mazi) and even remembers having a wet dream
4) he is not sure as to whether it is semen or pre-coital fluid but remembers having a wet dream
5) he is not sure as to whether it is semen or wadi (liquid that precedes urine) but remembers having a wet dream
6) he is not sure as to whether it is pre-coital fluid or wadi but remembers having a wet dream
And Allah Ta'ala knows best
Reference: Heavely Ornaments pg. 74

And Allah knows best

Wassalam

Mufti Ebrahim Desai (F1)
Darul Iftaa

DISCLAIMER - AskImam.org questions
AskImam.org answers issues pertaining to Shar'ah. Thereafter, these questions and answers are placed for public view on www.askimam.org for educational purposes. However, many of these answers are unique to a particular scenario and cannot be taken as a basis to establish a ruling in another situation or another environment. Askimam.org bears no responsibility with regards to these questions being used out of their intended context.
  • The Shar's ruling herein given is based specifically on the question posed and should be read in conjunction with the question.
  • AskImam.org bears no responsibility to any party who may or may not act on this answer and is being hereby exempted from loss or damage howsoever caused.
  • This answer may not be used as evidence in any Court of Law without prior written consent of AskImam.org.
  • Any or all links provided in our emails, answers and articles are restricted to the specific material being cited. Such referencing should not be taken as an endorsement of other contents of that website.
The Messenger of Allah said, "When Allah wishes good for someone, He bestows upon him the understanding of Deen."
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]