The one who thinks and ejaculation of semen or madhiy (pre-ejaculation fluid) occurs

The ulama differed about this on two sayings.

First saying

Whoever thinks and releases semen or madhiy, his fast is not broken.

This is the saying of the majority, the Hanafis, the Shafiʿis and the Hanbalis, and al Nawawi (d. 676 AH) mentioned consensus on that. (al Mabsut 3/71; al Inayah Sharh al Hidayah 3/43; Tuhfat al Fuqaha 1/353; al Majmuʿ 6/348; Rawdat al Talibin 2/361; al Sharh al Kabir with al Insaf 7/418; Sharh al Zarkashi 2/582.)

Second saying

The fast of one who thinks and then releases is invalid.

This is the madhhab of the Malikis, and Abu Hafs al Barmaki (d. 387 AH) also went to it. (Aqd al Jawahir 1/259; Sharh Mukhtasar Khalil for al Kharashi 2/245; al Sharh al Kabir with al Insaf 7/427)

Ibn al Qasim (d. 191 AH) said: If that stirs pleasure in him and he has an erection, then he must make up the day, and if he does not release, there is nothing on him. (Ibn al Qasim is the Maliki jurist of al Madinah whose rulings are recorded in al Madawwanah)

Evidences

Evidences for the first saying

1. His ﷺ saying: “Allah has overlooked for my nation what their souls talk to them about, as long as they do not act upon it or speak of it.”
2. Because there is no text that the fast is broken by this, nor consensus, and it is not possible to make qiyas of it on physical contact or repeated looking, because it is lower than both of them in calling up desire and leading to ejaculation, and it differs from them regarding prohibition if that is connected to a non mahram woman, or dislike if it is with a wife, so it remains upon the original ruling. (Sharh al Zarkashi 2/582; Kashshaf al Qinaʿ 3/979–980; Akhsar al Mukhtasarat p. 146)

Evidences for the second saying

1. Because thought is brought to mind, so it enters under choice. Allah, Exalted, praised those who reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the Prophet ﷺ forbade thinking about the essence of Allah and commanded thinking about His favours, and if it were not within one’s ability, it would not be addressed. (al Majmuʿ 6/348)

They also said: That is like a wet dream.

This was answered by saying that this reasoning moves away from the original ruling, which is the soundness of the fast, rather the proof goes against it, which is what we have mentioned as evidence for the first saying in this issue.

And they made qiyas on repeated looking.

This was answered by saying that it is not sound to make qiyas on repeated looking, because it is lower than it in calling up desire and leading to ejaculation, and it differs from it regarding prohibition if that is connected to a non mahram woman or dislike if it is with a wife, so it remains upon the original ruling. (al Mughni 3/364; al Sharh al Kabir 7/427)

Preferred view

The view that is stronger, and Allah knows best, is the first saying, that the fast of one who thinks and then releases semen or madhiy is not invalid, taking from the apparent sense of the hadith and keeping the original ruling of the soundness of the fast.

Al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Ṣiyām by Khālid ibn ʿAlī al-Mushayqiḥ 3/237–239

The fasting person who thinks and then ejaculates al-maniyy (semen)

The majority of jurists from the Hanafis, the Shafiʿis and the Hanbalis hold that if a person thinks and then ejaculates, his fast is still valid.

This is because of the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: “Indeed Allah has overlooked for my nation what their souls speak to them about, as long as they do not act upon it or speak about it.” (Narrated by al Bukhari in his Sahih 4968. It has also been narrated with the wording: “My nation has been excused for mistakes, forgetfulness and what their souls speak to them about, as long as they do not act upon it or speak about it.”)

And also because there is no text about breaking the fast through this and no consensus, and it cannot be analogised to physical contact or to repeated looking, since it is less than both of them in calling up desire and in leading to ejaculation.

It also differs from them with regard to the ruling of prohibition when that thinking is connected to a woman who is not permissible to him, or with regard to the ruling of dislikedness when it concerns his wife, so it remains on the ruling of dislikedness.

An Nawawi transmitted from the author of al Hawi, al Mawardi (d. 450 AH), his words: “As for when he thinks in his heart without looking, and he enjoys that and then ejaculates, then there is no making up upon him and no expiation, by consensus. He said: and if he repeats looking and then ejaculates, he is sinful, even if making up is not obligatory.” (Al Majmu 7/532. See also Sharh Fath al Qadir 2/329, 330; al Mughni 4/169; al Insaf 3/307; Sharh Muntaha al Iradat 2/194.)

The Malikis, and Abu Hafs al Barmaki, and this is the choice of Ibn Aqil (d. 513 AH) from the Hanbalis, hold that if a person thinks and then ejaculates, his fast is spoiled and he must make it up.

This is because thinking is brought to mind on purpose, so it falls under choice. This is shown by the fact that its doer is considered sinful for settling with it in innovation or disbelief, and Allah praised those who reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the Prophet ﷺ forbade reflecting on the essence of Allah and commanded reflecting on His favours. If it were not something that a person is able to do, these rulings would not be attached to it, like a wet dream. (Al Sharh al Saghir 1/457; al Mughni 4/169; al Insaf 3/307; Sharh Muntaha al Iradat 2/194.)

The summary of the Maliki madhhab is that if he ejaculates by mere thinking or looking without continuing with them, then there is definitely no expiation, but he must make it up, unless that happens out of overpowering thoughts and it is hard for him, in which case there is also no making up because of hardship.

If he continues thinking or looking until he ejaculates, then if it is his habit to ejaculate through them when he continues them, expiation is definitely due.

If it is his habit not to ejaculate through them with such continuation, but he went against his habit and ejaculated, then there are two views, the more apparent of them is that expiation is dropped. (Al Taj wal Iklil 4/40; Sharh Mukhtasar Khalil 2/253; al Sharh al Kabir with the marginal notes of al Dusuqi 2/159; Tahbir al Mukhtasar 1/657; Sharh al Zarqani 2/369; al Sharh al Saghir 1/457.)

Kitāb Mawsūʿat al-Fiqh ʿalā al-Madhāhib al-Arbaʿah by Yāsir al-Najjār 4/511–512