Understanding the Hadiths About a Woman’s Wet Dream and a Child’s Resemblance
Question: Assalamu aleykum. How can we understand the ahadith regarding wet dreams of women and the role of her ejaculation in ressemblance of the child to the mother. Is it possible to reconcile this with science today. For example Aisha (رضي الله عنها) reported: a woman asked the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم): “Is a woman required to perform ghusl (i.e. wash completely as if showering as per the prescribed way) if she had a sexual dream and notices wetness? He responded: Yes. Aisha said to her: May your hand be covered with dust and injured (i.e. she blamed the woman for asking an embarrassing question). However, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: Leave her; resemblance happens because of it. When her water is dominant, the born child resembles his maternal uncles but if sperm of the man was dominant, the born child should resemble his paternal uncles.” [Sahih Muslim, book 3, Hadith 37] BarakAllahu feekum
Summary:
A woman’s wet dream is established Islamically, and ghusl is obligatory. A woman has a real effect in resemblance, just as the man does. The meaning of dominance of fluid is dominance of influence, not quantity. There is no contradiction between the hadith and modern science, rather agreement in principle with difference in expression. This hadith is among the proofs of the truthfulness of prophethood, not a source of confusion.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and may Peace and Blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
First, the establishment of a woman’s wet dream and the obligation of ghusl
It is established in the authentic narrations that a woman may have a wet dream, and that ghusl is obligatory upon her if she sees fluid.
From the Sunnah:
- Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 311Narrated by ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
" Umm Sulaim asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about a woman who sees in a dream what a man sees (sexual dream). The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon bi m) said: In case a woman sees that, she must take a bath. Umm Sulaim said: I was bashful on account of that and said: Does it happen? Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Yes..."
This is an explicit text proving, the occurrence of a woman’s wet dream, the occurrence of discharge from her, and the obligation of ghusl upon seeing fluid, just like a man.
From the Scholars:
- Imām al Nawawī, may Allah have mercy on him, said,
“This affirms the occurrence of wet dreams for women and the obligation of ghusl upon them if they discharge, and this is unanimously agreed upon.”
Second, the meaning of his statement, “Is resemblance anything except from that” This portion of the hadith is a response to the surprise of ʿĀʾishah, may Allah be pleased with her, and a clarification of a great wisdom, that resemblance is not exclusive to the man, rather the mother has a real effect in it.
From the Sunnah:
- Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 311Narrated by ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
"... the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Yes (it does happen), otherwise how can (a child) resemble her? Man's discharge (i. e. sperm) is thick and white and the discharge of woman is thin and yellow; so the resemblance comes from the one whose genes prevail or dominate."
Third, what is meant by “the woman’s fluid” What is not meant is only the emitted semen known for the man, but rather that which is a cause for the transfer of characteristics.
From the Scholars:
- Ibn al Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said,
“The woman’s fluid is not like semen in ejaculation, but it undoubtedly has an effect in creation and resemblance.”
- Al Nawawī, may Allah have mercy on him, said,
“What is meant by her fluid is that from which the child is created, in which both the man and the woman share.”
The Prophet ﷺ spoke in language understood by the people, not in modern medical terminology.
Fourth, the meaning of “her fluid overcomes the man’s fluid” What is not meant is numerical quantity or visible ejaculation. Rather, what is meant is the dominance of inherited characteristics or precedence in influence upon formation.
From the Scholars:
- Al Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar, may Allah have mercy on him, said,
“Dominance here may mean precedence, strength, or greater effect.”
This meaning is exactly what modern genetics affirms.
Fifth, reconciliation with modern science Modern science affirms that inherited traits are transmitted from both the father and the mother together. Some traits are dominant and some are recessive. The influence of one parent may prevail in resemblance. This is precisely what the hadith indicates. Resemblance may be to the mother. Resemblance may be to the father. That depends on the dominance of traits. The hadith did not say resemblance is caused by discharge alone. It did not negate the woman’s effect. Rather, it affirmed shared contribution with the possibility of dominance. This is prophetic precedence in meaning, not in technical terminology. Sixth, is there any contradiction with science There is absolutely no contradiction, because the hadith speaks about the general cause of resemblance, while science explains the detailed mechanism of that cause. Difference in language does not mean difference in reality.
From the Scholars:
- Shaykh al Islām Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said,
“The revealed texts do not come with what sound reason deems impossible. Rather, they come with what reason may be unable to fully comprehend.”
And Allah knows best.
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