Fatwa ID: 08355

 

 

Answered by: Alimah Maryam Badshah 

 

Question:

 

Is it wrong to delay my obligations because I’m unsure whether or not my monthly cycle has ended? More often than not, I see some colored discharge after white/clear discharge (which happens usually after a few hours). I’m not certain if this could be caused by the use of sanitary pads.

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

 

Any discoloured discharge (i.e. red, yellow, green, black or brown) within a woman’s time of haidh is considered to be menstrual blood. She is only considered to be on her haidh if this discoloured discharge lasts between 3 to 10 days (72-240 hrs). The clean period between two haidh can be no shorter than 15 days (360 hrs). Ghusl should not be performed until you are certain your haidh has ended. Haidh ends when there is either no discharge, the discharge is white/clear, or the 10th day expires.^[1]

 

Bleeding that is under 3 days or exceeds 10 days is called Istiḥāḍhah. If your haidh exceeds 10 days, you would need to do ghusl on the 11th day and start praying salah even if you were still bleeding.^[2]

 

 

White/clear discharge is neither haidh nor Istiḥāḍhah. It is important to note that the pale discharges can change colour as they dry (e.g. white drying to yellow and vice versa), so the substance should be judged by what colour it was when it initially came out. If possible, try to check when the coloured discharge initially comes out in order to judge whether or not you are still on your haidh. In the end you can only try your best when it comes to judging the end of your haidh. Be patient and wait for your discharge to be clear or white before performing ghusl.^[3]

 

The maidservant of ‘A’isha (Umm al-Mu’mineen) said: “Women used to send small boxes to ‘A’isha, the Mother of the Believers. In it would be a kursuf (cotton cloth) on which was yellow discharge from menstrual blood, asking her about the prayer. She would say to them, “Do not be hasty [to perform ghusl] until you see a white discharge.” By that she meant purity from haidh. (Muwatta Malik) ^[4]

 

 

References:

 

[1]

فَهِيَ ثَلَاثَةٌ: حَيْضٌ، وَنِفَاسٌ، وَاسْتِحَاضَةٌ … وَ (أَقَلُّهُ ثَلَاثَةٌ بِلَيَالِيِهَا) الثَّلَاثِ، فَالْإِضَافَةُ لِبَيَانِ الْعَدَدِ الْمُقَدَّرِ بِالسَّاعَاتِ الْفَلَكِيَّةِ لَا لِلِاخْتِصَاصِ، فَلَا يَلْزَمُ كَوْنُهَا لَيَالِيَ تِلْكَ الْأَيَّامِ؛ وَكَذَا قَوْلُهُ (وَأَكْثَرُهُ عَشْرَةٌ) بِعَشْرِ لَيَالٍ، … (وَأَقَلُّ الطُّهْرِ) بَيْنَ الْحَيْضَتَيْنِ أَوْ النِّفَاسِ وَالْحَيْضِ (خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا) وَلَيَالِيهَا إجْمَاعًا (وَلَا حَدَّ لِأَكْثَرِهِ) … (قَوْلُهُ كَكُدْرَةٍ وَتَرْبِيَةٍ) اعْلَمْ أَنَّ أَلْوَانَ الدِّمَاءِ سِتَّةٌ: هَذَانِ وَالسَّوَادُ وَالْحُمْرَةُ وَالصُّفْرَةُ وَالْخَضِرَةُ…

 

Raddul Muhtar (Vol.1, pg.283-9, Dār Al-Fiqr)

 

وَالْحَائِضُ إذَا لَمْ تَجِدْ عَلَيْهِ أَثَرَ الدَّمِ حُكِمَ بِالِانْقِطَاعِ مِنْ حِينِ الْوَضْعِ.

 

Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.36, Dār Al-Fiqr)

 

[2]

(قَوْلُهُ وَكَذَا الْحَيْضُ) يَعْنِي إنْ زَادَ عَلَى عَشْرَةٍ فِي الْمُبْتَدَأَةِ فَالزَّائِدُ اسْتِحَاضَةٌ وَتُرَدُّ الْمُعْتَادَةُ لِعَادَتِهَا…

… وَالْمَرْئِيُّ حَيْضٌ إنْ دَامَ ثَلَاثًا وَتَقَدَّمَهُ طُهْرٌ تَامٌّ وَإِلَّا اسْتِحَاضَةٌ

 

Raddul Muhtar (Vol.1, pg.300 & 303, Dār Al-Fiqr)

 

[3]

الْمَذْيُ يَنْقُضُ الْوُضُوءَ وَكَذَا الْوَدْيُ وَالْمَنِيُّ إذَا خَرَجَ مِنْ غَيْرِ شَهْوَةٍ بِأَنْ حَمَلَ شَيْئًا فَسَبَقَهُ الْمَنِيُّ أَوْ سَقَطَ مِنْ مَكَان مُرْتَفِعٍ يُوجِبُ الْوُضُوءَ.

 

Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.10, Dār Al-Fiqr)

 

ثُمَّ الْمُعْتَبَرُ حَالَةُ الرُّؤْيَةِ لَا حَالَةُ التَّغَيُّرِ؛ كَمَا لَوْ رَأَتْ بَيَاضًا فَاصْفَرَّ بِالْيُبْسِ أَوْ رَأَتْ حُمْرَةً أَوْ صُفْرَةً فَابْيَضَّتْ بِالْيُبْسِ.

 

Raddul Muhtar (Vol.1, pg.289, Dār Al-Fiqr)

 

[4]

حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنِ أَبِي عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ أُمِّهِ، مَوْلاَةِ عَائِشَةَ أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ كَانَ النِّسَاءُ يَبْعَثْنَ إِلَى عَائِشَةَ أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِالدِّرَجَةِ فِيهَا الْكُرْسُفُ فِيهِ الصُّفْرَةُ مِنْ دَمِ الْحَيْضَةِ يَسْأَلْنَهَا عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ فَتَقُولُ لَهُنَّ لاَ تَعْجَلْنَ حَتَّى تَرَيْنَ الْقَصَّةَ الْبَيْضَاءَ ‏.‏ تُرِيدُ بِذَلِكَ الطُّهْرَ مِنَ الْحَيْضَةِ ‏.‏

 

Muwatta Malik (Book 2, Hadith 99)

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Alimah Maryam Badshah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham