What's the ruling on retrograde ejaculation where a man ejaculates but the sperm stays inside the penis? This sperm may be released later on with urine. Does it necessitate ghusl?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Whoever feels that the semen has moved from its original place, but it did not come out, then it is more precautionary for him in order to be acquitted from sin to perform Ghusl, because some jurists are of the view that Ghusl is required in this case. If the semen comes out afterwards, he is not obligated to repeat Ghusl again. Az-Zaad, which is one of the Hanbali School of jurisprudence books reads about Ghusl when semen is discharged:

“If semen moves from its original place and does not come out, then one should perform Ghusl because of this, and if it comes out after that, he is not obliged to repeat the Ghusl.” [End of quote]

Most jurists are of the view that it is not obligatory to perform Ghusl just by feeling that semen has moved from its original place, if it does not come out. Their evidence for this is the Hadeeth narrated by Umm Salamah that Umm Sulaym, the wife of Abu Talhah said, “O Allah’s Messenger! Allah is not ashamed of the truth. Is Ghusl compulsory for a woman when she has a sexual dream?” He replied, “Yes! When she sees signs of a liquid.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The Prophet did not say if she feels that it has moved from its original place. If Ghusl is obligatory by the semen moving from its original place, then the Prophet would have clarified this for the need for its clarification. The jurists also provided evidence of the Hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri that reads: “Water is from water (i.e. Ghusl is obligatory when there is ejaculation of semen).” [Muslim]

Here, there is no water, and the Hadeeth indicates that if there is no water (semen), then there is no water (i.e. no Ghusl required). They also provided evidence that in principle purity remains and that there is nothing that necessitates Ghusl; one should not move from this principle except with evidence.

For more benefit that water is from water (i.e. Ghusl is obligatory when there is ejaculation of semen), please refer to Fataawa 360802 and 398251.

Allah Knows best.