Critical Analysis of the Phenomenon of "Ejaculation (Inzal) in Women" and Its Effects on the Jurisprudence of Islamic Denominations

The famous Imamiyyah jurists and other Islamic sects, without distinguishing between men and women, have considered the appearance of genital secretions (semen) in sexual encounters, referred to as "inzal" and “imna`” as the necessary condition of ritual purification after sexual intercourse (ghusl).

In this descriptive-analytical study, using the jurisprudential sources of Islamic denominations, a thematic study of sexual secretions in women and men and the degree of similarity or difference between them was performed. The study aimed at comparing and explaining the level of compatibility of jurisprudential views with scientific findings.

The findings of the study show that the theory of the presence of ejaculatory secretions in women is influenced by the teachings of ancient medicine. The scientific findings do not provide strong evidence to confirm this phenomenon. As a result, the use of the words "ejaculation (Inzal)" and "imna`" and so forth in traditional texts for making a comparison between men and women is a verbal commonality. However, these titles refer to the state of female sexual discharge at all stages of the sexual response cycle, whether it is due to sexual intercourse, non-penetrative genital stimulation or sexual dreams. The theories of the famous jurists seem justifiable for realization of ritual impurity after sexual intercourse and obligation of ghusl for women, regardless of whether the sexual discharge stays in the vagina or leaks out following sexual stimulation.