two units of prayer after walking between al-Safā and al-Marwa, as he prescribed two units of prayer after circumambulating the House.

By the same reasoning, we know that semen is not ritually impure: no report with a chain of transmission that can serve as proof states that he commanded Muslims to wash semen from their bodies and clothes, despite its being a common occurrence. Indeed, he instructed a menstruating woman to wash menstrual blood from her garment, although the need for this was less frequent, yet he did not command Muslims to wash semen from their bodies and clothes.

The report that some jurists relate—“Clothing is to be washed of urine, feces, semen, pre-ejaculatory fluid, and blood”—is not a statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It appears in none of the reliable hadith collections, nor has any hadith scholar transmitted it with a chain that can serve as proof. It has only been reported from ʿAmmār and ʿĀʾisha as their own statements.

ʿĀʾisha’s washing semen from his garment and rubbing it off does not establish that doing so is obligatory. Clothes are also washed to remove dirt, nasal mucus, and spittle. An obligation can only be established by his command, particularly since he did not command the rest of the Muslims to wash their clothes of it, nor is it reported that he commanded ʿĀʾisha to do so. Rather, he tacitly approved her action, which indicates that it is permissible, or that it is good and recommended.