Ruling on Yellow or Brownish Discharge After Purity (Ṭuhr)
Source: Fatawa Arkan al-Islam
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
Women face numerous challenges regarding the rulings of menstruation, and one common cause of complexity today is the use of contraceptive and menstruation-blocking pills. These complications, although not entirely new, have increased in frequency to the point where finding solutions sometimes becomes difficult.
The general rule is:
◈ When a woman becomes pure and is certain of ṭuhr — that is, after the bleeding stops she sees the whitish discharge — this is the sign of purity.
◈ This whitish discharge is well-known to almost all women.
◈ Once this sign appears, the woman is considered pure, and all rulings of purity apply.
◈ If, after purity, yellow or brownish fluid, stains, or discharge appear, they are not considered part of menstruation.
Therefore:
✿ They do not prevent prayer.
✿ They do not prevent fasting.
✿ They do not prevent marital relations.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī
Umm ʿAṭiyyah رضي الله عنها said:
«كُنَّا لَا نَعُدُّ الصُّفْرَةَ وَالْكُدْرَةَ شَيْئًا»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ḥayḍ, Bāb al-Ṣufrah wa-l-Kudrah fī Ghayr Ayyām al-Ḥayḍ, ḥadīth 326)
Meaning:
“We did not consider yellow or brownish discharge to be anything (i.e., part of menstruation).”
Sunan Abī Dāwūd
This narration adds:
“After purity, we did not consider yellow or brownish discharge to be anything.”
(And its chain is authentic.)
◈ A woman should not hasten but should wait until she sees the clear sign of ṭuhr.
◈ Some women hasten to perform ghusl when the bleeding becomes light or before seeing the full sign of purity, which is incorrect.
◈ The wives of the Companions رضي الله عنهن used to send cotton with traces of brownish discharge to Umm al-Mu’minīn ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها, and she would say:
«لَا تَعْجَلْنَ حَتّٰی تَرَيْنَ الْفَضَّةَ الْبَيْضَاءَ»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, muʿallaqan, Kitāb al-Ḥayḍ, Bāb 19: Iqbāl al-Maḥīḍ wa-Idbāruhu)
Meaning:
“Do not hasten until you see the whitish discharge like silver.”
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
Source: Fatawa Arkan al-Islam
❖ General Principle
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
Women face numerous challenges regarding the rulings of menstruation, and one common cause of complexity today is the use of contraceptive and menstruation-blocking pills. These complications, although not entirely new, have increased in frequency to the point where finding solutions sometimes becomes difficult.
The general rule is:
◈ When a woman becomes pure and is certain of ṭuhr — that is, after the bleeding stops she sees the whitish discharge — this is the sign of purity.
◈ This whitish discharge is well-known to almost all women.
◈ Once this sign appears, the woman is considered pure, and all rulings of purity apply.
❖ Yellow or Brownish Discharge After Ṭuhr
◈ If, after purity, yellow or brownish fluid, stains, or discharge appear, they are not considered part of menstruation.
Therefore:
✿ They do not prevent prayer.
✿ They do not prevent fasting.
✿ They do not prevent marital relations.
❖ Evidences
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī
Umm ʿAṭiyyah رضي الله عنها said:
«كُنَّا لَا نَعُدُّ الصُّفْرَةَ وَالْكُدْرَةَ شَيْئًا»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ḥayḍ, Bāb al-Ṣufrah wa-l-Kudrah fī Ghayr Ayyām al-Ḥayḍ, ḥadīth 326)
Meaning:
“We did not consider yellow or brownish discharge to be anything (i.e., part of menstruation).”
Sunan Abī Dāwūd
This narration adds:
“After purity, we did not consider yellow or brownish discharge to be anything.”
(And its chain is authentic.)
❖ Cautionary Advice
◈ A woman should not hasten but should wait until she sees the clear sign of ṭuhr.
◈ Some women hasten to perform ghusl when the bleeding becomes light or before seeing the full sign of purity, which is incorrect.
◈ The wives of the Companions رضي الله عنهن used to send cotton with traces of brownish discharge to Umm al-Mu’minīn ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها, and she would say:
«لَا تَعْجَلْنَ حَتّٰی تَرَيْنَ الْفَضَّةَ الْبَيْضَاءَ»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, muʿallaqan, Kitāb al-Ḥayḍ, Bāb 19: Iqbāl al-Maḥīḍ wa-Idbāruhu)
Meaning:
“Do not hasten until you see the whitish discharge like silver.”
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
