But the latter is the stronger view, because the basic rule is that garments must be cleansed of impurities, whether small or large in amount. Once it is established that a small amount of semen may remain on one’s clothing during prayer, the same applies to a large amount, for analogy makes no distinction between them.

If it is said:

Muslim recorded in his Sahīh that ‘Ā’isha said:

“The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—used to wash off semen, then go out to pray in that garment, while I could see the marks left by washing on it.”

This contradicts the hadith about rubbing off the semen of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Washing is evidence of impurity, since something already pure cannot be purified.

The reply is:

This does not contradict it, because washing applies when it is wet, and rubbing when it is dry, as explicitly explained in al-Dāraqutnī’s version. Alternatively, he would do one on some occasions and the other on others. As for washing, a garment may be washed to remove nasal mucus, saliva, or phlegm because these are repugnant, not because they are impure. Hence Sa‘d ibn Abī Waqqās and Ibn ‘Abbās said:

“Remove it from yourself, even with a stalk of idhkhir grass, for it is only like nasal mucus and saliva.”

The second proof:

Imam Ahmad narrated in his Musnad, with an authentic chain of transmission, that ‘Ā’isha said:

“The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—used to wipe semen off his garment with a root of idhkhir grass, then pray in it. When it was dry, he would scrape it off his garment, then pray in it.”

Such treatment is peculiar to repugnant substances; it is not among the rulings governing impurities.