Question:
Assalamualaikum, if a guy is in the state of janabah, is it permissible for him to sleep in this state? Or should he first take his obligatory bath?
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam.
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Answering this issue, a person is considered to be in the state of janabah after he experiences two situations. First, he ejaculated after having a dream and others. Second, after intercourse between husband and wife even if he didn’t ejaculate.
Coming back to the presented question, we will share the following narrations. Among them is a hadith narrated by Abu Salamah RA where he asked A’isyah R.Anha:
أَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَرْقُدُ وَهْوَ جُنُبٌ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ وَيَتَوَضَّأُ
"Did the Prophet (ﷺ) use to sleep while he was Junub?" She replied, "Yes, but he used to perform ablution (before going to bed).”
Sahih al-Bukhari (286)
Imam al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali in his commentary on this hadith stated: “This hadith proves the permissibility of delaying the obligatory bath without any necessity. However, if he wants to sleep, it is sunnah for him to first perform the ablution.” Refer Fath al-Bari, Ibn Rajab (1/349).
Likewise, it is also stated in a hadith narrated by Abdullah Ibn Umar RA, he said:
اسْتَفْتَى عُمَرُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَيَنَامُ أَحَدُنَا وَهوَ جُنُبٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ إِذَا تَوَضَّأَ
`Umar asked the Prophet (ﷺ) "Can anyone of us sleep while he is Junub?" He replied, "Yes, if he performs ablution."
Sahih al-Bukhari (289)
While in another narration from Ibn Umar RA, he said: Umar once told the Prophet PBUH that he experiences junub at night time. Then, the Messenger PBUH said:
تَوَضَّأْ وَاغْسِلْ ذَكَرَكَ ثُمَّ نَمْ
"Do wudu and wash your penis, and then sleep."
Sunan al-Nasa’ie (261)
Although according to al-Syafi’iyyah and other scholars, the commandment in the above narration does not refer to its wajib ruling, consequently, it refers to the mustahab ruling which means it is sunnah. The reason is there are other narrations which prove the ruling is only mustahab.
Syeikh al-Mahamili al-Syafi’e when commenting the situations when it is sunnah for a person to perform ablution, among them is:
والوُضُوءُ لِلْجُنُبِ عِنْدَ النَّومِ
And perform ablution when you are about to sleep for those who are in janabah.
Refer Al-Lubab fil Fiqh al-Syafi’e (pg. 59)
Conclusion
To conclude, after referring to the above evidences and arguments, we would like to state that it is permissible for a person in the state of janabah to delay from taking his obligatory bath after he wakes up. However, it is sunnah for a person in the state of janabah to perform ablution like the ablution for prayer before he sleeps. If he sleeps in the state of janabah without first performing ablution then it is makruh.
Lastly, we pray to Allah SWT to give us the correct understanding in practising religion. Amin.