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Fatwa CenterHe unknowingly used to perform prayer after wet dream without Ghusl
Question
Sir, I have just recently learned that ghusl becomes obligatory after wet dreams. There has been many circumstances when i washed myself up but didn't bath after a wet dream and then said my prayers. And I have totally no idea how many prayers I have performed in this state in my whole lyf. Plz state the ruling on how to make up for these prayers. Is fasting of Ramadhan also invalidated due to this? Also, plz let me know how to make up for prayers i have missed my entire lyf... there had been countless occasions when i missd my fajr prayers and other prayers as well.
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.
It is due on you, dear brother, to make up for those prayers you had performed after wet dreams without Ghusl, because Tahaarah (purification) from the ritual impurity is requisite for the validity of the prayer; and whoever leaves out anyone of the conditions of prayer for no legal excuse, his prayer would not be held valid, regardless of his being forgetful or ignorant. Making up for prayer is due on him according to the opinion of the majority of scholars.
But Ibn Taymiyyah 
was of the opinion that whoever leaves such a thing, out of ignorance of its ruling, should make up only for the current prayer (whose time is still due), and abide by that in the future, and no making up for the previous prayers is due on him. He confirmed his opinion with many pieces of evidence. In “Majmoo‘ Al-Fataawa”, he said: “As for him who does not know what is obligatory (among the acts of the prayer), once he knows it, he should perform only the current prayer (whose time is still due) and what is after it, and no making up for the (previous) prayers is due on him, as proven in the two Saheehs, that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to the Bedouin who prayed imperfectly: ‘Return and pray, because you have not prayed yet.’ He said: ‘By Him Who sent you with the truth, I can not do better than this. So, teach me what makes valid my prayer.’ So he taught him and commanded him to make up for only the current prayer whose time was still due, and not the previous prayers, even though he said: ‘I can not do better than this.’ He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not command ‘Umar and ‘Ammaar 
to make up for the prayers, although when ‘Umar 
became in a state of Janaabah (sexual defilement), he did not pray; whereas ‘Ammaar (who suffered from a similar state) rolled himself in the dust in the same way as an animal rolls itself. He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also did not order Abu Tharr to make up for the prayers he left when he was in the state of Janaabah. Furthermore, he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not order the woman suffering from vaginal bleeding outside the menstrual period to make up for what she left given her saying: ‘I am suffering from severe vaginal bleeding outside the menstrual period which prevented me from fasting and prayer.’”
However, the first opinion is what we adopt here in Islamweb, hence, if you do not know the number of those prayers, there is no way but to endeavor to estimate it and pray the number of prayers which you predominantly think that it will free you from liability. For further information, please to Fataawa 95419 and 105182 about making up for the prayers missed for many years.
On the other hand, your fasting is not nullified because Tahaarah from the ritual impurity is not requisite for fasting. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to get up at the time of the Fajr prayer in a state of Janaabah as a result of sexual intercourse (and he would fast). Also, having a wet dream even during the day of Ramadan does not affect the validity of fasting even if it leads to ejaculation.
Allaah Knows best.
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