and that requires a full ritual bath. Pre-ejaculatory fluid is discharged following thoughts, looking, or touching a woman—not touching the penis. If they do not require ablution after looking, which is more likely to lead to the discharge of semen, then there is even less reason to require it after touching the penis.

The second position is that touching arouses desire, as when touching a woman, and ablution is performed following the arousal of desire, just as it is performed after anger or eating camel meat, because of Satan’s influence in these things, which ablution extinguishes. Hence, some followers of Abū Hanīfah said that ablution is required only when a strong erection occurs. Likewise, some followers of Mālik said that ablution is required when an erection occurs. But is this ablution after touching obligatory or recommended? The jurists disagree on this, and this is not the place to discuss it, for the question of touching the penis is discussed elsewhere. Our concern here is only the question of touching women.

The more evident view is also that ablution after touching the penis is recommended, not obligatory. Imam Ahmad explicitly stated this in one of the two opinions reported from him. This reconciles the hadiths and reports by understanding the command to perform ablution as a recommendation, without abrogating his saying:

“Is it not merely a part of you?”

Understanding the command as a recommendation is preferable to considering it abrogated. Likewise, ablution after eating food cooked over fire is recommended according to one of the two views in