Question 1163: If a person becomes ritually impure (junub) at night during Ramadan and wakes up before dawn but delays their ritual bath (ghusl) until water is warmed or provided due to cold or lack of water, and dawn breaks in the meantime, what is the ruling on their fast?
Answer
✅Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:
1 عَنِ الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ رَزِینٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ یُصِیبُ الْجَارِیَةَ [تصيبه الجنابة] فِی شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ ثُمَّ یَنَامُ قَبْلَ أَنْ یَغْتَسِلَ قَالَ یُتِمُّ صَوْمَهُ وَ یَقْضِی ذَلِکَ الْیَوْمَ إِلَّا أَنْ یَسْتَیْقِظَ قَبْلَ أَنْ یَطْلُعَ الْفَجْرُ فَإِنِ انْتَظَرَ مَاءً یُسَخَّنُ أَوْ یَسْتَقِی فَطَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ فَلَا یَقْضِی یَوْمَهُ.
📚 Al-Tahdheeb, vol. 4, p. 211
📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 4, p. 105
Muhammad ibn Muslim said: 'I asked Imam Baqir or Imam Sadiq, peace and blessings of Allah be upon them, about a person who becomes ritually impure (junub) during Ramadan and sleeps before performing the ghusl (until dawn breaks).' The Imam said: 'He completes his fast and makes up that day, unless he wakes up before dawn, in which case if he was waiting for water (for ghusl) to be warmed or to draw water (from a well), and dawn broke in the meantime, he does not make up that day!'
2 عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ عِيسَى قَالَ سَأَلْتُ الرِّضَا .... رَجُلٌ أَصَابَتْهُ جَنَابَةٌ فِي آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَقَامَ لِيَغْتَسِلَ وَ لَمْ يُصِبْ مَاءً فَذَهَبَ يَطْلُبُهُ أَوْ بَعَثَ مَنْ يَأْتِيهِ فَعَسُرَ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى أَصْبَحَ كَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ قَالَ يَغْتَسِلُ إِذَا جَاءَهُ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي
📚 Al-Tahdheeb, vol. 4, p. 210
Isma'il ibn Isa said: 'I asked Imam Reza, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, about a person who becomes ritually impure (junub) at the end of the night (in Ramadan) and gets up to perform ghusl but cannot find water, so he goes to look for water or sends someone to bring water, and it becomes difficult for him until morning breaks.' The Imam said: 'When the water arrives, he performs ghusl and then prays!'
✅ Based on the two narrations above, if a person becomes ritually impure (junub) at night during Ramadan and wakes up and acts to perform ghusl before dawn breaks, but due to cold or lack of water, their ghusl is delayed for warming or providing the water, and dawn breaks in the meantime before they perform ghusl, they should perform ghusl and continue their fast, and there is no need to make up that fast.
✅ The above situation is different from someone who intentionally delays their ghusl until dawn breaks or someone who wakes up once at night but does not perform the ghusl for ritual impurity and goes back to sleep until dawn breaks.
✅ It is clear that in such a situation, the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, have not specified the duty of performing tayammum (dry ablution) for such a person.
اللَّهُمَّ فَصَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ