What is the ruling regarding the prayer of a person who had a wet dream and forgot to purify himself? I am a 22-year-old man, and one of my friends told me that he experienced a wet dream, during which he ejaculated, but he did not become aware of it until two days later. During those two days, he performed ablution and prayed. Is he required to repeat all the obligatory prayers he performed on those two days?

The inquirer’s friend must repeat the prayers he performed while in a state of major ritual impurity, after performing the purificatory bath and washing any impurity from his clothes.

One of the conditions for the validity of prayer is purification from both minor and major ritual impurity. Since the inquirer’s friend is certain that he prayed while in a state of ritual impurity, he must first purify himself and then repeat all the prayers he performed while in a state of major ritual impurity. It is noted in Al-Mudawwanah al-Kubra (p. 81, Book of Purification, the chapter on praying in a garment containing impurity) that Imam Malik was asked about a man who was in a state of major ritual impurity and did not become aware of it until he went to the market, where he noticed traces of major ritual impurity on his clothes, having already prayed. Malik replied that the man should directly head home, perform the purificatory bath, wash the traces of impurity from his clothes, repeat the prayers, and then go about his needs.

The ruling

Based on the above, your friend must repeat the prayers he performed while in a state of major ritual impurity, after performing the purificatory bath and washing the impurity from his clothes.

And Allah Almighty knows best.