When Should Someone Perform a Ghusl After a Dry Orgasm? (Shafi’i School)

Answered by Ustadh Shuaib Ally

Question: Assalam alaykum,

1. Masturbating with the intention of having a dry orgasm or a retrograde ejaculation: Is the sin in masturbating itself or in ejaculating?

2. Masturbating without any manual stimulation: is it permissible?

3. If a man does not ejaculate (sperm does not leave the penis), but orgasms does he have to do ghusl?

4. In the case of Retrograde Ejaculation, where the sperm comes out with the urine possibly hours after the orgasm has taken place, is the ghusl necessary?

5. If someone masturbates without any sperm coming out (so it could be either dry or retrograde), then urinates and has doubts (does not remember to see if the urine is cloudy or not, or is unable to discern if it is cloudy or not), then does he have to do ghusl?

6. After having Retrograde Ejaculation, can a person do their wudu and pray if they have not urinated during that period?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

According to the Shafi’i school:

1.Masturbating without due cause, with the intention of a dry orgasm or retrograde ejaculation, is still considered impermissible. Masturbating as the alternative to illicit intercourse is not considered impermissible.

2.A person must perform ghusl after semen exits the penis, irrespective of its cause and when it occurs. If it occurs without manual stimulation, it is not technically considered masturbation.

3.If a man does not ejaculate (i.e. sperm does not leave the penis), but orgasms, he does not have to perform ghusl. This is if the cause is other than intercourse, which in and of itself necessitates ghusl.

4.It would be necessary in the case of retrograde ejaculation for a person to perform ghusl after urinating, because he is reasonably certain that semen has exited with the urine.

5.If someone urinates following a dry or retrograde orgasm, he can be reasonably certain, without inspecting his urine, that semen has exited the penis along with the urine. He would then have to perform ghusl. In other circumstances, if a person does not recall semen exiting, or is unable to discern if it has, he does not have to perform ghusl.

6.A person can perform wudu and pray after a retrograde ejaculation, because semen has not exited the penis.

Shuaib Ally