Sex and the Ummah

Quandary of Female Vaginal Discharge: Pure or Impure?

Published

October 9, 2012

When I wrote my last piece on female wet dreams, I received many requests to add a portion on vaginal discharge as well. However, since vaginal discharge is a common quandary among Muslim women and a subject of controversy among the scholars, I wanted to write a separate entry on this.

Regular vaginal discharge has left many sisters confused as to whether:

It is najis (impure) therefore requiring her to wash off undergarments and legs
It breaks one’s wudu or not

Many sisters turn to one of the most trusted websites, islam-qa, to find answers about this embarrassing and complicated topic. Many of them, then, pass along the answers based on the fatawa posted on the site. Links to the fatwas are listed at the bottom of the post.

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To summarize the info in the links below, feminine discharge has been classified into the same categories as the discharge of males:

The water (secretions) of a woman fall into the same categories as water secreted by a man; so maniy [semen; fluid emitted at the point of climax], madhiy [a fluid which is usually secreted as a result of sexual excitement] and wadhiy [a thick, white fluid which may come after urination or due to other reasons such as illness] are all secreted by her.

It seems like wadhiy is what is considered a normal vaginal discharge, but, it is also assumed in some of the answers, that the vaginal discharge, other than sexual excitement, is only secreted on specific occasion like after urination or due to a disease.

In another fatwa there is specific distinction based on color and secretion. However, in this fatwa the wadhiy or the regular discharge which is named moisture, is not to be washed off the garments but it breaks wudu.

After reading these sets of fatawa, I felt more bewildered than educated on this matter. In my humble opinion, male scholars, no matter how much they research about this subject, cannot fully comprehend the complexity of the situation since they don’t experience it themselves. And as much as I love and respect the shayookh on that site, I must respectfully suggest that certain issues need to be taken under consideration before classifying vaginal discharge as a cause of breaking the wudu.

First of all, let it be known that all women have vaginal discharge throughout the day. Some have more, some have less; some women always have white discharge and some have yellowish, and some may even have brownish. Additionally, this also varies based on many factors, like age, hormonal changes, marital status, birth control, pregnancy, stress, psychological tension, physical fatigue, ovulation etc. It would not be incorrect to state that anything and everything not only affects the amount secreted but even the color of it.

This information has been verified by different gynecologists, one of them being Dr. Lalani who answered regarding vaginal discharge:

Regarding vaginal discharge, yes there is a physiologic or normal discharge that most women have. It can vary from person to person in quantity and quality and vary depending on timing in the menstrual cycle (discharge is greatest at mid-cycle).

Keeping this in mind,

1. If regular vaginal discharge breaks wudu, then it means that the majority of the women will have to renew their wudu for almost each and every prayer. Having to renew wudu for each prayer is usually required when a person is going through some sort of abnormality in their physique. However, if a discharge is normal, then how can a female be burdened with renewing her wudu for almost every prayer? This basically implies that women cannot stay in the state of taharah (purity) most of the time. Not only it is a hardship upon women while they are staying inside their homes, but more so if they have to leave the house for shopping or traveling, etc. At times, it is difficult to find a spot to pray; now she must go around looking for a bathroom to renew her wudu first!

2. Furthermore, if regular vaginal discharge were to be considered najs in addition to breaking wudu, the hardship would be increased even more. How many times a day is it expected of Muslim females to change their undergarments? In the case of being outside her home, she must find a place to wash off her underwear first, then find a place to renew her wudu, and then find a place to pray! In all honesty, I do not believe that Allāh azzawajal would subject women to this great difficulty, wAllahu ta’ala alam.

3. Based on the fatawa above, the vaginal discharge is further classified based on the color and texture. I believe women will easily acknowledge that this is an overly simplistic classification of a very complicated matter. Although, generally each woman knows her regular discharge, it can differ in its color and texture at different times of the same day depending on many factors like mental stress, physical stress, ovulation, PMS’ing, etc.

When I posed this question to Dr. Lalani, she answered:

Yes, this is definitely true. In my humble opinion, I don’t think that the discharge of women can be compared to that of men, but I don’t treat men, so if you know a Muslim urologist it may be helpful to get some input.

4. Another point of classification mentioned in the above fatawa is the fact that female discharge is of two types, one secreting from urethra and the other from the uterus. The first being impure and the latter being pure. I posed this question to Dr. Lalani to find out if it was even practically possible for women to know which opening the discharge was secreted from, and her reply was:

I think it is impossible to differentiate based on color or texture.

If the rulings were so complicated, how would a normal-everyday-average-woman that is not knowledgeable about women’s anatomy be able to cope!

5. In addition to the entire dilemma above, some sisters mentioned yet another predicament with regard to above rulings. What happens when females are at Hajj or Umrah? People are told to eat and drink less especially during hajj so they can maintain their wudu for longer periods of time. How practical, during Hajj, is the implication of the ruling that regular vaginal discharge breaks wudu! What can the majority of the women do to keep away from a discharge that is secreted from their body REGULARY and is out of their control? Especially during Hajj, a time when everyone is physically fatigued. During such fatigue, a woman’s body is prone to increase its vaginal discharge, and can even change its color and texture based on the level of stress. Then how can it be expected of a woman to maintain her wudu for longer periods of time, unless what is considered by some scholars a cause of breaking the wudu, is actually not a cause to break the wudu, wAllahu ta’ala alam.

Because of these factors, this predicament has left many Muslim women frustrated. Many sisters still struggle with distinguishing between the color of what marks the beginning and the end of their menstrual cycle, let alone knowing the different color/texture of daily vaginal discharge. Women of all ages, from young girls to older aunties, of various ethnicities, have discussed the dilemma of the inconsistency of the color of the discharge before and after menstruation. It is simply impossible to distinguish the color on a daily basis especially with such a sensitive situation where the prayer can be nullified based on the wrong judgment.

That is why, and Allāh knows best, I fear that digging too much into the color and texture is inviting complications upon ourselves, similar to how it was invited by inquiring too much about the color and texture of the cow when Musa (peace be upon him) sai to his people that Allāh commands them to slaughter a cow. For many of us, this issue has raised more questions than answers. And that makes me think, and Allāh knows best, that there must be a reason why there is:

1. Lack of Textual Proof: There is no textual proof to make regular vaginal discharge a cause of breaking wudu. If it was a cause then it would have been explicitly mentioned in at least one narration. It is interesting that there are many narrations explicitly mentioning a number of things breaking the wudu, however, regular vaginal discharge has never been mentioned in any one of them.

2. Lack of Questions from the Women of Ansar: We always read about the enthusiasm of the women of the Ansar for learning their religion. It is narrated that Aisha said:

How excellent are the women of the Ansar, shyness/modesty does not prevent them from understanding the religion. [Bukhari]

They would not leave matters in confusion, but would rather find a concrete answer even if it required sending their pads to the Prophet , to find out if their cycle had ended or not. Is it then logical that they would not specifically question about their regular vaginal secretion?

UNLESS, the discharge was considered so normal and regular that it was obvious that it did not break the wudu. Perhaps, this situation was similar to the saliva in one’s mouth and how swallowing it while fasting does not invalidate one’s fast. But we don’t find any explicit text explaining it neither do we find any companion questioning the Prophet , about it. Maybe because it was common sense and obvious and that’s why no one ever brought up this issue, wAllahu ta’ala alam.

It may have been the same reason why no female companion ever brought up the issue of regular vaginal discharge. And, maybe, it was considered common sense that classifying it as a cause to break wudu would be a matter of great hardship, and Allāh doesn’t intend hardship for us rather He makes matters easy. Similar to how the scholars concluded that since avoiding swallowing of the saliva is extremely difficult while fasting, and sharee’ah wards off unusual difficulty, then it must not be a cause to break one’s fast. Likewise, marking vaginal discharge as a reason to break wudu, doesn’t correspond with the spirit of ease, for Allāh azzawajal said:

Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. [Surah Al-Baqarah, 185]

Allah does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His Favor to you that you may be thankful. [Surah Al-An’am, 6]

…and [Allah] has not laid upon you in religion any hardship… [Surah Al-Hajj, 78]

If the textual proof had existed clearly distinguishing vaginal discharge as a cause for breaking wudu, as is the case with the other actions that break wudu and are mentioned clearly in a number of ahadeeth, then we would have withdrawn from the rational argument and would have heard and obeyed by Allāh’s permission. However, the lack of textual evidence is a strong indication that there is room for logical reasoning.

Moreover, like any fiqhi matter, there is disagreement among the scholars on this issue too. And it seems that Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen changed his opinion by the end of his life, as stated on IslamToday:

About vaginal discharge by Sheikh Yusuf al-Qasim: What comes from the vagina, emanating from the birth canal, is pure. It requires neither a ritual bath, nor wudu, nor the washing of affected clothing. The reason for this is the absence of any textual evidence to the extent of my knowledge that indicates the impurity of this discharge or that it invalidates a woman’s wudu. This is very pertinent, especially since this discharge is something that affects all women, from the time of the Prophet up to today. If it had been impure or if it had nullified wudu, this would have been clarified by the Lawgiver. Also, this discharge is not a waste product like urine and feces which are the waste products of our food and drink. It is a natural emanation from the womb. This is why it increases with pregnancy, especially during certain months. This ruling is the final opinion that Sheikh al-Uthaymeen settled upon at the end of his life. It was also the view of Ibn Hazm. And Allāh knows best.

About vaginal discharge by Sheikh Ahmad al-Khall: The moisture which comes out from women’s vagina is a matter of disagreement among scholars. The most correct rule, in my opinion, is that it is pure and does not invalidate wudu. (Answered by the Fatwa Department Research Committee – chaired by Sheikh Abd al-Wahhab al-Turayr)

As for the rulings over other vaginal discharge that is secreted during sexual excitement or intercourse is obviously understandable and applicable as it is occasional and is caused by certain actions that are controllable. Hence, if a woman has discharge during sexual thoughts, foreplay, kissing etc., without an orgasm, then she should renew her wudu. And if she has intercourse, orgasm or a wet dream then she should make ghusal.

To conclude, I am in no position to give verdicts on Islamic rulings, neither is my knowledge anywhere close to the shayookh who have answered the questions in the links below. At the same time, I have not found any sister, so far, who finds the position of those shayookh, with regard to the REGULAR vaginal discharge, as sympathetic or an understanding approach towards female physique. I do believe that since it is a matter that our shayookh have not experienced themselves they cannot fully comprehend the difficulty of the situation, like they understood the situation of swallowing saliva during the fast. Nevertheless, I highly respect them and I understand that this is possibly another issue of ikhtilaf (disagreement). So if sisters choose to follow their position, by all means, the doors of differences of opinions have been left open and we must learn to agree to disagree on matters of fiqh. As for the sisters, who are confused and find the ruling difficult based on what has been discussed above, then they have a choice, in spirit of sharee’ah’s assurance of ease and simplicity, to consider the REGULAR vaginal discharge as pure and not a reason to break the wudu, wAllahu ta’ala alam.

Let me end the article with a note from Shaikh Yasir Qadhi:

“The issue of female vaginal discharges is one of those that appears to be different between ‘theory’ and ‘existence’. Most male scholars simply assumed that it should take the same ruling as that of irregular male discharge (known as wady). This qiyas, in my humble opinion, is simply not warranted.

The average woman emits vaginal secretions throughout the day, albeit most do so in extremely minuscule quantities. Some are able to detect minor discharges, and it is these women who ask the status of wudhu after such a discharge.

Personally, while I do agree that a majority of our (male) scholars have historically considered this discharge to be najas, and to break the wudhu, I think that a feminine perspective is warranted on the issue. When so many women experience this discharge, and no textual evidence appears to indicate its status as najas, I believe that it is completely safe for a woman to follow the opinion that it does not affect the status of her wudhu. Nonetheless, if she were to take the majority opinion, just to be on the safe side, this would also be good.”

Links:

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/99507

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/2458

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/12223

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/7776

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/44980

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Saba Syed (Umm Reem)

Saba Syed (aka Umm Reem) is the author of International award winning novel, "An Acquaintance." Saba has a BA degree in Islamic Studies. She studied Arabic Language & Literature at Qatar University and at Cairo Institute in Egypt. She also received her Ijaazah in Quranic Hafs recitation in Egypt from Shaikh Muhammad al-Hamazawi. She had been actively involved with Islamic community since 1995 through her MSA, and then as a founding member of TDC, and other community organizations. in 2002, she organized and hosted the very first "Musim Women's Conference" in Houston, TX. Since then, she's been passionately working towards empowering Muslim women through the correct and untainted teachings of Islam. She is a pastoral counselor for marriage & family, women and youth issues. She has hosted several Islamic lectures and weekly halaqas in different communities all over U.S and overseas, also hosted special workshops regarding parenting, Islamic sex-ed, female sexuality, and marital intimacy.

52 Comments

Jawed

October 9, 2012 at 12:59 AM

gr8 work…

Reply
Amna

October 9, 2012 at 8:20 AM

Jazakallah sister for throwing light on this issue.

I cannot thank you enough. Problems related to this topic are aplenty. Apart from the confusion running rampant, women themselves are unable to understand what these secretions are about.
I experience discharge all day long. I have had it checked and I am a perfectly normal, healthy woman, Alhamdulillah. The discharge has no colour or smell but living in the West where once you step out of the house, finding a place to perform Wudhu, or prayers for that matter, is a real challenge and I am tired of having to rush back home just to perform ablution. It’s quite comical now that I think about it. I delay my Wudu till the very end before I step out of the house and my poor family- have no clue why I just simply cannot use a public toilet to go about my business!
Even my own mother, who has a doctorate in Islamic Education, sided with the prevailing ruling on the matter. Which again, has been decided by male Scholars (all due respect to them) who cannot be expected to understand Female anatomy.

My only beef, this line: “They would not leave matters in confusion, but would rather find a concrete answer even if it required sending their pads to the Prophet ”
It just sounds offensive; as in too brash; not keeping in mind the beloved Prophet (PBUH)’s status among us humans. Maybe tone it down a notch?

Reply
- ash
  
  January 20, 2014 at 2:46 AM
  
  i agree, this sentence “They would not leave matters in confusion, but would rather find a concrete answer even if it required sending their pads to the Prophet ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), to find out if their cycle had ended or not.” Is a bit too much, actually its way too much and it needs to be removed immediately.
  
  Reply
sarah

October 9, 2012 at 9:36 AM

this happens when one does not use common sense and are blinded by tradition. Hurray for women of the Ansar who didn’t even question this issue because they used their God given brains first. Yes, not everything can be rationalized, but 99% can. Unfortunately, common sense has left many orthodox muslims of today.

Reply
Um Aneesa

October 9, 2012 at 11:38 AM

Much appreciated. Jazakillahu khayra Umm Reem!

Reply
JF

October 9, 2012 at 12:35 PM

Assalamu alaikum

Jazaky Allahu khairan. This is a much-needed discussion.

Personally this issue causes a lot of stress since it is something that is dealt with on pretty much a daily basis.

I totally agree with what you’ve written here. It does not make sense to me that normal vaginal discharge would be najas and break wudu when it is not under our control and does not happen in response to certain thoughts, etc. it really is as involuntary as our saliva.

Considering it najas does introduce hardship into our daily life. Every single day. Especially at Hajj and Umrah, as you mentioned. I was pregnant while at Hajj and I remember being in Muzdelifah and wondering if my wudu is valid or not to pray Fajr before we leave on the walk to Mina but not having the guys to tell my husband and the other men we were walking with that I have to stop for ye bathroom again. A woman could clean herself and make wudu and just a short while later have discharge again. Will the whole group wait for her to renew her wudu?

And about washing our underwear, alhamdulillah now we have disposable pantyliners so we don’t have to actually change/wash our underwear each time, but even so, if the half billion Muslim women throw away a pantyliners 5+ times a day for every wudu, that’s a lot of waste in the landfills and a lot of trees cut down. (I’d actually like to switch to washable ones I’ve seen online.)

I hope this issue is given more attention by our scholars. If men were inconvenienced like this the way that women are, it certainly would be a high priority.

I agree with the conclusion stated by the author here, however as she notes she is not qualified to give a fatwa on the issue. Until a fatwa is given by a trustworthy scholar I’ll have to continue to make wudu for nearly every salat to be on the safe side like Sh. Yasir Qadhi said.

Jazakum Allahu khairan, to the author and Muslim Matters, for this great article.

Reply
JF

October 9, 2012 at 12:38 PM

*as per your request your earlier comment has been edited by the MM Comments Team*

Reply
AmatunNur

October 9, 2012 at 3:08 PM

I love you for writing on this topic! a big jazakillahu Khair

Reply
Mustafa Umar

October 9, 2012 at 5:29 PM

I’m glad you brought this issue up because it does affect many people. I just finished writing a book on the fiqh of purification and prayer which I have been working on for the past several years now. While researching, I also came to the conclusion that normal vaginal discharge outside of a woman’s period is pure and does not require wudu. In the past I have told some sisters in my masjid [I was an Imam] that they must make wudu and may be considered to have a chronic excuse.
My point in mentioning it is this. I researched the issue in several books of fiqh, on medical websites such as mayo clinic, and by reading a few articles online. It was sufficient to make me realize that several scholars, particularly of the Hanfi school, have understood the issue and deemed it to be pure. Your contention that the issue revolves around male scholars being unable to experience or feel what females go through is, in my opinion, an echo of a neo-feminist sentiment currently gaining much ground in academia and society. I feel that it is a dangerous phenomenon for reasons which I won’t get in to here. The point is this: if those male scholars would have properly researched the issue and realized that this is a normal everyday occurrence for most women, several of them might have modified their analogy [qiyas] on wadi. They wouldn’t have to experience what vaginal discharge feels like in order to give a more balanced fatwa on the subject anymore than a scholar would need to get drunk to pass a fatwa on the stages of drunkenness.
Nonetheless, excellent work in highlighting an important issue that people face everyday.

– Imam Mustafa Umar

Reply
- R
  
  December 11, 2016 at 1:25 PM
  
  plz mjy bta den agr mery husband intercours na krn jst mj sy sexual talking krn tb b i fel wet to kea tab b mjy gusal lena ho ha?
  
  Reply
Pingback: wudhu and female discharge
hayat

October 10, 2012 at 4:45 AM

I’m very happy you brought this issue up because it does affect many people , i have this discharge every time and min and i found it very difficult to do wudu every time after azan because even i have it while doing wudu. i searched and asked several imam website etc most of them told me it is nejes so i starte using light days pad every time every day every wudu and i have infection beacouse of that . some sheik told me that if this is my case i have to wait for azan and do quicly and pray imagin how hard it is,, i have been praying alhamdulilah while sometime wendering how Allah most kind loving put woman in to this and my heart sayd sometime this is not nejes how could it be to be so strsssing to do woudu i can not sit even few min without it and alhamdulilh i am healthy . some friend of mine heard from alim and stop doing wudo while discharge she told me imam maliki mezehab is clean i do not know if this is true or not i need some alim claryfiy please.

the hardest part is when in hajje and tewaf and mina muzedelifa i found it so so so so hard and sometime i was just tierd of serching and wiathing for toilet and just prayd without renew by saying please Allah you see my situation plase accept my prayer.

for most of us who have discharge like me there most be some fata ,,,. spetially sometime it touch your underwear if you do not have light days bad or so in a mall or outside how do i wash infront of others and wear it again , while visiting family sometime i put soft paper when it touch it so i get infection and sometime my underwear have lost of discharge and removing light days doesnt help i have to take underwear to quicly pray and if i take underwear my other dress skirt tight will be wet so very dificult . may Allah bring this matter clear but how.

we need more fatwa on this matter or sometime i pray i see some thing in my dream from Allah to take this hard ship from me and other woman whom i know a lot suffering on this matter.

sometime i feel that Allah will give me more reward by doing this each time praying i feel so sad not to be able go around with wudo . keeping wudo all the time is sunna and good for us. but for me i can not and feel saden.

may Allah reward you for writing this and i felt that some one like me was worrying for me.

jezakilllah jenetul ferdos and do not forget me in you dua

Reply
Tez

October 10, 2012 at 3:02 PM

Is this Sunni or hanafi? Please reply as I am Sunni and don’t know if I can follow this?

Reply
- Mustafa Umar
  
  October 11, 2012 at 5:38 PM
  
  It’s both Sunni and Hanafi, so you can safely follow it, insha Allah.
  
  Also, I suggest you research the terms Sunni and Hanafi because it seems you are a little confused about what they mean.
  
  Reply
  - Saleem
    
    October 12, 2012 at 7:17 AM
    
    Imam Mustafa, since you have researched the issue of purification to some depth as it seems, what is your considered opinion regarding those brothers that have involuntary prostatic fluid release i.e. not due to sexual excitement?
    
    This is not constant but occurs on occasion, should a person check their underwear (only noticeable if they are wearing dark colours) before prayer? Note that this is sometimes random and not continuous. Does this small amount of emission invalidate wudoo or not?
    
    Reply
    - Mustafa Umar
      
      October 14, 2012 at 2:33 PM
      
      Since this is not normal for most men, it does require wudu. If it becomes chronic, then that person can follow the rules of a person with a chronic problem such as a nosebleed [and make wudu for every prayer/prayer time].
      As for whether to check or not, it is not necessary unless one has reasonable probability that something has come out. A person should use their best judgment to determine whether something came out and not exhibit signs of OCD-like behavior.
      The reason why there is a difference between men and women in this regard is because it is normal for most women.
      And Allah knows best…
      
      Reply
Tez

October 14, 2012 at 12:51 AM

Jazakallah

So are all umm reems post for Sunni hanafi?

Reply
needtoknow

October 16, 2012 at 7:59 PM

I had a quick question on how a woman should do ghusl after intercourse. Is it mandatory for a women to wash all her hair or can her hair be tied in a pony tail and a quick shower would suffice?

Reply
- Mustafa Umar
  
  October 16, 2012 at 8:17 PM
  
  This is an excerpt from my upcoming book which I pray might answer the question:
  
  How to Perform It
  Make the intention and begin with the remembrance of Allah as done in wuḍū’. Then start the bath by washing off any filth from your body and private parts, if there is any. It is recommended to perform wuḍū’ during the bath as well. Then wash your entire body, making sure to clean the hard to reach places such as the navel, behind the ears, and under the arms. Also, make sure that water reaches the roots of the hair and beard. It is recommended to rinse the mouth and nose if you have not already done so in the wuḍū’. Using soap or another cleansing substance is also recommended.
  While it is necessary to wash [not wipe] your hair, there is one exception to the rule. If one has braided hair, these braids do not have to be undone, as long as water flows over the hair and reaches the roots of the scalp. This is so that no one is overburdened due to their hairstyle.
  If any part of the body is not washed properly, the bath will not count. So be careful when bathing.
  
  In case it wasn’t clear: if your hair is in a pony tail but not braided, you need to wash it completely since there isn’t much difficulty in doing so, unlike unfastening braids.
  And Allah knows best
  
  Reply
mahmoud

October 22, 2012 at 9:20 AM

This article is a good response to the ill-founded perspective that has gained prevalence even within Muslims that our male ulama cannot understand a woman’s perspective:

http://www.ilmgate.org/gender-bias-in-fiqh-rulings-not-really/

Reply
Tez

October 28, 2012 at 1:09 AM

Umm Reem are all your posts for Sunni hanafi ? Like the wet dream one

Reply
- Umm Reem
  
  January 20, 2014 at 3:30 AM
  
  yes inshaAllah. I am sunni :)
  
  Reply
amiraz

October 30, 2012 at 6:47 AM

@ mustafa, pls do i i need to loose my braided hair to perform ghuslu after my menstruation

Reply
Mustafa Umar

October 30, 2012 at 9:56 AM

@amiraz
No, just make sure to wet all the hair to the roots of your scalp. Please refer questions either to my website instituteofislam dot com or to a fatwa service. I recommend islamtoday dot net.

Reply
Muslimah

November 3, 2012 at 11:16 AM

Salaam Umm Reem. Shurak and jazak allah khair for all of your great and informative articles. I have a question on ghusul and the period. I am one of the ladies who does not have a clear “white discharge” at the end of my periods. It just progresses from red blood, brown, then to a yellowish. I was told that 10 days is the max for a period, then after that one must do ghusul. I wanted to know if this is a valid opinion by shuyookh. I am very confused. In this situation what time of day should I do ghusul since there is no definitive end.

Reply
- nia
  
  August 4, 2013 at 6:34 AM
  
  Yeah, kind of have the same problem. I always get confused as to when Im supposed to do ghusl because its so difficult to determine the end of your period by the ‘range of color’. I mean, which tint of yellow is pure enough for ghusl?? Please please if anyone has any articles on this, please share.
  
  Reply
  - Umm Reem
    
    August 6, 2013 at 4:17 AM
    
    just wait for your regular vaginal discharge (whatever color that is) or wait for a complete cease of blood…
    
    Reply
muhammad

November 17, 2012 at 10:28 AM

salaam,

A fascinating article. The one question that came to my mind is that if;

1. REGULAR vaginal discharge, like menstrual fluid from regular and irregular cycles, can also vary in colour, and

2. It is not possible to determine whether discharge is by way of the urethra or uterus,

then how will it be possible to differentiate between hayd, istihaada and pure secretion with a women whose discharge is coloured?

As you can see, this is a crucial question.

Reply
- Umm Reem
  
  January 20, 2014 at 3:34 AM
  
  There is a clear difference between haydh wa istihaadha because that is blood. Whereas any other vaginal secretion doesn’t involve blood.
  
  Reply
muskaan

December 12, 2012 at 12:03 AM

Assalamalikum…i will be going for umrah in sha allah and just like a million ladies out there..i had the same doubts about regular discharge. Sometimes when there’s too much rush and if you get up to go to re new your wudu..you end up losing your place or if you have small children then you have to carry them too…so it becomes really cumbersome every time you feel discharge and you have to make wudu for it.Jazaak Allah khair for publishing this.
Also one thing i wanted to correct is that the ladies of the Ansar used to send their pads to Ayesha (r.a) to check and not to the prophet peace be upon him.Please correct it as does not befit to write something like that about the Prophet peace be upon him.
Jazaak Allah khair once again.

Reply
- uzma
  
  February 25, 2014 at 11:06 AM
  
  Asalam o alaikum, yes u r rite. I red it in sahih bukhari that women used to send cotton pieces to Hazrat Ayesha RA.
  
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JZ

December 12, 2012 at 11:38 AM

Assalamu Alaikum,
Can you kindly provide the link to Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen fatwa on http://en.islamtoday.net/
I am having trouble finding it.
Jazakillahu Khair

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Mother to Binyamin

May 5, 2013 at 3:49 PM

Thank you! Finally an article on vaginal discharge that actually makes sense! I’ve studied the fiqh of tahara, and always felt that to simply state the discharge in question as impure was completely nonsensical. It’s SO refreshing to see a woman writing about the topic and at the same time using her own reasoning as opposed to thoughtless regurgitation of ill researched ‘scholarly’ opinions. Thank you once again. May Allah reward you and increase you in both knowledge and wisdom.

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CPasserini

May 29, 2013 at 9:07 PM

Asalamu Alekoum, me and my friends also followed the islamQA fatwa…maybe we will stop carying underwears in our purses!!!

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Berserk Hijabi

June 4, 2013 at 2:52 AM

Thank you thank you thank you! I have personally had this question for a long time but was too embarrassed to ask anybody. Since I have never,ever heard anybody bring it up I thought it was just something that I had for some, random reason.I really can’t thank you enough,not for giving a fatwa on the issue or something,just for letting me know that other girls and women have this too and scholars do debate about whether it is pure or not!
What relief it is to know.

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LiveIslam

July 7, 2013 at 1:17 AM

Asalmualikum Imaam Mustafa

can you clear this confusion up for me please. You said, ‘While it is necessary to wash [not wipe] your hair, there is one exception to the rule. If one has braided hair, these braids do not have to be undone, as long as water flows over the hair and reaches the roots of the scalp.’ However, I have came across answers to this whole undoing braided hair when making ghsul and the take a different approach to yours. Apparently if one is making ghusl after sexual intercourse then she doesn’t need to undo her braids but if its following end of period then she must undo her braided hair?

According to book of Menstruation- The Sahih Collection of al-Bukhari
A woman should undo her hair when performing ghusl after menstruation
311. It is related that ‘A’isha said, “We set off at the approach of Dhu’l-Hijja [that is the month for hajj] for the hajj. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Whoever wants to assume ihram for ‘umra should do so. If I had not brought sacrifice, I would have assumed ihram for ‘umra. Some of us assumed ihram for ‘umra and some for hajj. I was one of those who assumed ihram for ‘umra. When the day of ‘Arafat came, I was still menstruating. I complained to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said, ‘Postpone your ‘umra and undo your hair and comb it and put on ihram for hajj.’ I did that. On the night of al-Hasaba [ i.e. the night they stayed at al-Muhassab], he sent my brother, ‘Abdu’r-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, with me and I went out to at-Tan’im. I assumed ihram for ‘umra to make up for my ‘umra.”

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LiveIslam

July 7, 2013 at 1:20 AM

I heard that women do not need to undo the braids in their hair when they perform ghusl. Is this true?

Answered by

Sheikh `Abd al-`Azîz b. Bâz

It was related from the Mother of Believers, Um Salamah, that she asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about a woman’s bath (ghusl).

The Prophet (peace be upon him) told her: “When a woman performs ghusl after having sexual intercourse, there is no need for her to open up her hair. It is sufficient for her to pour water over her head three times. However, when she performs ghusl after completing her menstrual period, she has to open up her hair.” [Sahîh Muslim]

Source: Islam Today

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Islam

August 2, 2013 at 3:24 PM

Salaam sister Umm Reem

It is the last ten days of ramadan..I had just prayed Asr…

I was lying down on my front and began havng sexual thoughts..I was also very tired at the time but did not fall asleep… In short I think I had an orgasm ..does this break my fast??? I was very shocked when I had felt myself having an orgasm ..I hadnt even touched myself so I had not expected this to happen…

Please advise sister..

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- Umm Reem
  
  August 6, 2013 at 4:21 AM
  
  as long as you didn’t masturbate and the orgasm was merely from thoughts, No it didn’t break your fast inshaAllah…and Allah knows best…
  
  Reply
- Rab Ka Banda
  
  August 6, 2013 at 6:29 AM
  
  If you ejaculated, then you broke our fast.
  
  Reply
Tasnim

September 6, 2013 at 9:40 AM

for some reason my comment is not being accepted because it seems like “spam”….

:(

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- Tasnim
  
  September 6, 2013 at 9:43 AM
  
  is there any way to contact you ya umm reem other than comments?
  
  هناك مسالة في الهداية تتكلم عن علة انتقاض وضو
  a هل أذكره؟؟ ربما يساعد شوي
  
  Reply
  - Umm Reem
    
    January 20, 2014 at 3:39 AM
    
    ارسل سوالك الي
    privatequestions@muslimmatters.org
    
    هذه اي ميل بس لي فقط
    
    Reply
Umm Sara

November 5, 2013 at 9:21 PM

Asalamu alaykum dear sister Reem,

Thank you for addressing this matter. I usually turn to Seekers Guidance for information…I have felt that following their advice is difficult at times. My discharge used to be clear in between periods, but now it is yellow in color. I do try to make wudu each time, but using the restroom and washing/changing a pantyliner with each wudu is so difficult, (in a public restroom setting, even more difficult because you’re not sure if you come out cleaner than when you went in).

The validity of prayer is so very important; and to discover that your prayers might not be accepted because you have more than 5cm of discharge on your underwear, is extremely disheartening. Are there female scholars in the West who have been able to address this concern and issue a ruling?

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Nadine

November 22, 2013 at 1:34 PM

Yes! Just yes. It is definitely something way more complex, not to mention confusing (and frustrating!), than I suppose males would assume it to be. No matter how they imagine they can’t reeally empathise can they?

That said, no one finds it unusual here in Malaysia to take a different wudhu’ for each of the 5 prayers, myself included. That’s not bad, but you do hear of women who take off their underwear everytime they want to pray. My grandmother would change all her clothes when she wanted to pray.
[@CPasserini, you carried extra underwear in your purses? I feel for you, out of home I’d justify same as the article, but at home when doubt arose I’d change them too.]

And that’s right! How DID they cope with discharge during umrah and hajj? Never thought of that aspect. Though I’ve never been myself, I imagine it would be quite daunting! And in camps, and programs where you don’t have easy access to toilets!

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Janice

December 24, 2013 at 1:59 AM

You define a good point there. If moslem female are forced to wash and change clothes every time they find discharge from their vagina, they would do that every time they pray. The discharge in women not only happen when they menstruate, but almost everyday, ie. when they get aroused by the man they like, their vagina will automatically discharge fluids though a little. Same like men, when they get aroused by a beautiful girl, their penis will also discharge fluids.

However, there are times when the discharge in women is not normal, this is caused by bacteria. In this event, I think they are najis.

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Aziza

January 8, 2014 at 8:27 PM

Very beneficial article, JazakAllah Khair.
Alhamdullilah, I want to also share a nice video by Sheikh Assim Al-Hakeem which also explains the issue quite clearly. It should help to clear up any doubts that are left for some sisters InshaAllah.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpiSjasRr6E

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farhatkureshi

February 22, 2014 at 9:06 AM

Assalamu’alaikum sister can u plz pass ur email address i want to ask some personal questions

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Shireen

April 19, 2015 at 8:09 AM

pls what i’ like to know is when madhiy is emitted after cleaning ones body and clothes is wudu compulsory or the wudu is for when u want to pray?

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Shireen

April 19, 2015 at 8:21 AM

What i’d like to know is the treatment for madhiy the same for urine that is u clean ur body and ur clothes and when u want to perform salat u renew ur ablution or after cleaning urself and ur clothes u perform ablution to purify yourself from the madhiy separately and another ablution to perform salat too?. pls i’d like a reply soon.. Jazakhallahu khair

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Ananomous

May 12, 2018 at 5:34 PM

A.a first off, jazakallah for the post! It really helped witg my troubles.
I have a question about urethral discharge.. madhy.. i know the rulings on it but i do not know wether it is normal vaginal discharge or urethral.. i dont know how to distinguish the 2.. i know that when u get sexual thoughts u get madhy .. is it like, u get madhy right when u start thinking of something? What does it feel like? Now, im so troubled by it that i feel it coming out even when i dont think of something sexual. Can i come without sexual thoughts?? I know that it can just be waswasa but i do feel something. How is it different from normal discharge? Is anything u feel coming out from above the vagina area be classified as madhy? Its hard to distinguish from just texture and colour like u said because even normal discharge has so many appearences. Im so troubled by this. First it was vaginal discharge and wudu.. when thats resolved. Its madhy now. Please let me know. Allah has helped me find your post!

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Umm Abdullah

May 19, 2022 at 6:28 AM

I have been married for over 20 years but despite the good relationship between us i had never experienced complete satisfaction during intercourse.
Recently however I discussed this with my husband and told him we needed to improve our bedroom play so to speak.
We did some research and discovered the many things that he could do Islamically to bring me to a better chance of reaching a climax. We increased the amount of foreplay and it went quite a long way for me.

Recently as we were engaged in foreplay i became so stimulated and for the first time I felt an amazing tingling all over… However, just moments in to this I had a sudden release of a gush of pee like fluid. It came suddenly and I had no control over it.

Ive tried to find out what that was and why it happened. There are 2 main theories. First one suggests that it is female ejaculation but the second one states it is mostly urine probably due to weak bladder muscles.

I was a little disgusting but mostly unsure. My most deep concern is what does Islam have to say about this? Is this involuntary action due to an innocent foreplay still considered haraam? There is no Islamic information I can find about the matter although I have found that it can occur in at least as much as 40% of women.

Could you look in to this and share what you may find.

Jazakallah khairun

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