27 - Abu Ma'n narrated to us, saying: Ya'qub narrated to us, saying: Sufyan narrated to us, from Habib ibn Abi Thabit, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said regarding janaba (major ritual impurity): "Wipe it with a blade of idhkhir (lemon grass); it is only like mucus."

Chapter: Semen

I heard Ahmad ibn Hanbal say: "One may rub the semen off the garment if he wishes."

I asked Ahmad - another time - I said: "A garment is affected by janaba, should it be dipped in water?" He said: "It suffices him if that [the semen] is removed from it." He granted a concession regarding semen: if he wishes, he may rub it off, and if he wishes, he may wipe it.

Ahmad was asked - another time - it was said: "A man becomes junub (ritually impure) in his garment, can he pray in it?" He said: "If he wishes, he may wash the entire garment, and if he wishes, he may rub it." It was said: "Does rubbing it suffice?" He said: "Yes."

I heard Ishaq ibn Ibrahim say: "If urine touches a garment and he does not know its location, he washes the entire garment. If it is semen and he knows its location, he rubs it. If he does not know its location, then if he wishes, he may rub the entire garment until the rubbing covers every spot, and if he wishes, he may wash it."

As for rubbing; it is a Sunnah upon which there is no disagreement when the semen is dry, but for wet [semen], there is a difference of opinion:

• Some of them held the view that it should be washed,
• And some of them held the view that it should be wiped with a blade of idhkhir. Both are permissible, though washing it is more beloved to us as long as it is wet.

28 - Yahya ibn 'Abd al-Hamid narrated to us, saying: Sharik narrated to us, from Mansur, from Ibrahim, from Hammam, from 'Aishah - may Allah be pleased with her - who said: "I have seen myself rubbing semen, while it was dry, from the garment of the Prophet (peace be upon him) with my fingernail..."