Ruling on semen emitted during fits of epilepsy
Fatwa No: 203032

Question

I am a patient of fits(attack).Fits attack(epilepsy) makes me unconscious(light sleep).I wake up after 3 or 4 minutes and I see that my cloth is wet, due to the discharge of manni.Should I do bath or not (because of disease). But last one year I experienced another problem besides fits attack that I feel dizziness (not sleeping) for 2 seconds (15 to 20 times) during a day and sometimes something is discharged from my private part during dizziness and sometimes nothing is discharged. I do not know whether it is mazi or manni due to the little quantity like one drop. Should I do bath or not (because of sickness). Please advise me in both cases

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, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

If you are certain that what comes out from you during fainting is Maniyy (semen) and the fainting that overcomes you, which you have described as light sleeping, does not cause you to lose your senses completely, i.e. you can still hear the loud voice near you and feel if an object falls out of your hand, then the Maniyy that comes out from you during that state will have the same ruling of the Maniyy that comes out of the one who is awake.

Scholars held different opinions regarding the Maniyy emitted from the one who is awake without sexual desire such as that emitted due to a sickness. The majority of scholars are of the view that making Ghusl (ritual bath) is not required while Shaafi‘i scholars viewed that it is required. The opinion we adopt here in Islamweb is the opinion of the majority of the scholars, but it is better to make Ghusl to be on the safe side as we have explained in the Fataawa 156063and 129697.

On the other hand, if the fainting that overcomes you causes you to lose your senses and you find Maniyy when you wake up, then making Ghusl becomes obligatory. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in Sharh Zaad Al-Ma‘aad regarding the person who faints and has a wet dream: "If he ejaculates during fainting, then making Ghusl becomes obligatory upon him just like the one who has a wet dream while he is sleeping..."

Al-Mardaawi, may Allaah have  mercy upon him, said in Al-Insaaf regarding the insane and the person who faints: "If they have a wet dream, then they have to perform Ghusl. It is the correct and preponderant opinion which our companions (i.e. Hanafi scholars) have adopted." Ar-Ri‘aayah As-Sughra (a Hanbali book) reads: "There are two opinions regarding the obligation of making Ghusl because of fainting and insanity. It was said if they (the insane and the person who has fainted) ejaculate, then Ghusl becomes obligatory, otherwise, it is not..." It was also said: "If they ejaculate semen," and it was also said, "or what may be semen," then Ghusl is obligatory, otherwise, it is recommended ...." [End quote]

As for what comes out of you during dizziness while you do not know whether it is Maniyy or Mathy (pre-seminal fluid), then you have the choice to deem it Maniyy and do Ghusl for it or deem it Mathy and not do Ghusl for it but only wash it away. That is the best for you as that matter is repeated daily for 15 times or more as you have stated.

Please refer to the Fatwa 82518 about the one who is not certain whether what comes out of him is Maniyy or Mathy and Fatwa 92441 about the conditions and ruling of the liquid that one finds when he wakes up. 

Also, refer to Fataawa 88705 and 9995 about the treatment of epilepsy. We ask Allaah The Almighty, Lord of The Mighty Throne, to heal you.

Allaah Knows best.

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