What is the ruling on the secret habit, does it necessitate the full ritual bath, and does it affect fasting and worship?

The questioner : May Allah reward the honorableThe Shaykh : I ask you, may Allah guide you and benefit me and those who hear the answer, to respond to my question, or rather my problem, which affects my life and my worship, and I fear it may turn me away from my religion. I want a healing cure for me and for other young people, especially as we are about to enter this blessed month. The problem is the secret habit: what is its ruling, does it necessitate the full ritual bath, and does it affect prayer, fasting, and worship? Open for us a door through which we can escape. May Allah open for you and the listeners the eight gates of Paradise.

The Shaykh : The secret habit, which is masturbation, meaning the attempt to discharge semen by any means, by hand, by rolling on the bed, by any means, is forbidden whether one is fasting or not. The evidence for this is the saying of Allah the Exalted: , and the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): . The indication from the hadith is that if masturbation were permissible, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have directed us to it, because there is no hardship in masturbation; rather, it brings pleasure to the soul. So when he turned away from it to fasting, despite the hardship that sometimes comes with fasting, it indicates that masturbation is not permissible. It is forbidden. If semen is discharged, it invalidates the fast, and it becomes obligatory for the person to make up the fast. If semen is discharged, it becomes obligatory for the person to perform the full ritual bath. If he prays without performing the full ritual bath, his prayer is invalid. On this occasion, I would like to say that intercourse invalidates the fast even if discharge does not occur. If intercourse takes place during the day in Ramadan for one upon whom fasting is obligatory, five rulings apply to him: first, the sin; second, the invalidity of the fast; third, the obligation to continue the fast; fourth, the obligation to make up the fast; and fifth, the obligation of expiation, which is freeing a slave. If he does not find one, then fasting two consecutive months. If he is unable to do that, then feeding sixty poor people. His wife is like him if she consented to it. But if he forced her and she was unable to resist him, then she owes no making up of the fast, no expiation, and her fast is not invalidated. When you say, "Open for us a door," it means that a person should turn to his Lord in the correct way, asking Him to prevent him from this habit. If a person turns to his Lord, in a state of necessity to Him, the Exalted, Allah answers his supplication: . Allah answers the one in distress, even if he is a disbeliever. The evidence is that when they boarded the ship, they called upon Allah, sincere to Him in religion. But when He saved them to the land, they associated partners with Him, so they were those who associate partners with Allah. And He, the Exalted, knows that they will return to associating partners with Allah when they are saved. And yet He answers them because of their necessity to Him and their turning to Him. So turn to Allah, the Exalted, and ask Him to protect you from it. Then wait for relief from Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. If you leave this for the sake of Allah, Allah will compensate you with something better, immediate and not delayed. And perhaps if you persist in this matter while knowing its prohibition, Allah may make your affairs difficult and you may not find a wife. Then when the desire stirs within you, turn to the ablution and prayer, or to reading the interpretation of the words of Allah, or the explanation of the words of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), or going out to the mosque if possible, for example during the day. The important thing is that you distract yourself from this, with the help of Allah, asking Him, the Exalted, and turning to Him.