Question 644: If a person forgets to perform the ghusl of janaba and prays for a period of time, what is their duty?

557 13 Feb 2021
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✅ Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:

1 عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ فِي حَدِيثٍ أَنَّ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا كَانَ ثَوْبُهُ نَجِساً لَمْ يُعِدِ الصَّلَاةَ إِلَّا مَا كَانَ فِي وَقْتٍ وَ إِذَا كَانَ جُنُباً أَوْ صَلَّى عَلَى غَيْرِ وُضُوءٍ فَعَلَيْهِ إِعَادَةُ الصَّلَوَاتِ الْمَكْتُوبَاتِ اللَّوَاتِي [التي] فَاتَتْهُ لِأَنَّ الثَّوْبَ خِلَافُ الْجَسَدِ فَاعْمَلْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 1, p. 426

Ali ibn Mahziyar narrated in a narration from the Imam (peace be upon him) that he said: When a person's clothes are ritually impure (and he has prayed with them), he does not repeat his prayer unless the time for the prayer is still remaining, but if he is in a state of janaba or has prayed without wudu, the repetition of the obligatory prayers that he has missed is his responsibility, because clothes are different from the body, so act upon that, if Allah wills.

2 عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ زُرْعَةَ عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَرَى فِي ثِوبِهِ الْمَنِيَّ بَعْدَ مَا يُصْبِحُ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ رَأَى فِي مَنَامِهِ أَنَّهُ قَدِ احْتَلَمَ قَالَ فَلْيَغْتَسِلْ وَ لْيَغْسِلْ ثَوْبَهُ وَ يُعِیدْ صَلَاتَهُ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 1, p. 367

Sama'ah said: I asked (Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him) about a man who sees semen in his clothes after the morning but did not see that he had a wet dream in his sleep; the Imam said: He must perform ghusl, wash his clothes, and repeat his prayer.

3 عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ قَالَ: سُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّه عَنْ رَجُلٍ أَجْنَبَ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ- فَنَسِيَ أَنْ يَغْتَسِلَ حَتَّى خَرَجَ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ- قَالَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ (يَغْتَسِلَ وَ) يَقْضِيَ الصَّلَاةَ وَ الصِّيَامَ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 4, p. 311

Halabi said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked about a man who becomes in a state of janaba in the month of Ramadan and forgets to perform ghusl until the month of Ramadan passes; the Imam said: It is his responsibility to (perform ghusl) and make up his prayers and fasts.

4 عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّه عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يُجْنِبُ بِاللَّيْلِ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ ثُمَّ يَنْسَى أَنْ يَغْتَسِلَ حَتَّى يَمْضِيَ لِذَلِكَ جُمْعَةٌ أَوْ يَخْرُجَ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ- قَالَ عَلَيْهِ قَضَاءُ الصَّلَاةِ وَ الصَّوْمِ

📚 Al-Faqih Vol. 2, p. 118

Ibrahim ibn Maymun said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about a man who becomes in a state of janaba at night in the month of Ramadan, then he forgets to perform ghusl until a week passes or the month of Ramadan ends; the Imam said: The making up of the prayers and fasts is his responsibility!

5 قَالَ الصَّدُوقُ وَ رُوِيَ فِي خَبَرٍ آخَرَ أَنَّ مَنْ جَامَعَ فِي أَوَّلِ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ- ثُمَّ نَسِيَ الْغُسْلَ حَتَّى خَرَجَ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ- أَنَّ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَغْتَسِلَ وَ يَقْضِيَ صَلَاتَهُ وَ صَوْمَهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ قَدِ اغْتَسَلَ لِلْجُمُعَةِ- فَإِنَّهُ يَقْضِي صَلَاتَهُ وَ صِيَامَهُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ وَ لَا يَقْضِي مَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ

📚 Al-Faqih Vol. 2, p. 119

Shaykh Saduq said: In another narration, it is narrated that if a person has intercourse at the beginning of the month of Ramadan, then forgets to perform ghusl until the month of Ramadan passes, it is his responsibility to perform ghusl and make up his prayers and fasts, unless he has performed the ghusl of Friday (in between), for in that case, he makes up his prayers and fasts until that day, but he does not make up what is after (the ghusl of Friday)!

✅ From the numerous narrations, some of which were mentioned, it is clear that if a person forgets to perform the ghusl of janaba and prays or fasts an obligatory fast for a period of time and then realizes that he has not performed ghusl, it is necessary for him to perform ghusl and make up the prayers and fasts of that period. However, according to narration 4️⃣, if he performed the ghusl of Friday in between, he makes up what is before the ghusl of Friday but does not need to repeat what is after the ghusl of Friday.

✅ Some of the narrations on this topic, such as narration 1️⃣, cover all those who, for any reason, have prayed in a state of janaba or without wudu, and it is their responsibility to perform their ghusl or wudu and repeat the prayers that were performed in a state of janaba or without wudu.

اللَّهُمَّ فَصَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ

Ruling on prayer and fasting with janaba or without wudu due to forgetfulness