Fatwa ID: 07476
Answered by Alimah Shireen Mangera-Badat
Question:
There are 2 options
- I continue my education out of the city so that I can practice Islam but I will be unable to offer salah properly. My parents hit me for praying like men and covering awrah but in hotel I’ll be unable to get Islamic education from institution directly and I’ll be sinning for traveling alone
2. Study within city and get Islamic education and try my best to offer salah properly. If I am forced to pray in a wrong way am I sinful?
White discharge come out during salah.
I know its white so I continue salah but I have waswas of it being yellow because from previous experiences It was yellow but now its white. I have waswas that I prayed with uncertainty of wudu because I don’t know whether the discharge was white or yellow, so do I have to repeat salah in which it came because I’m uncertain of it being white but believe it’s white?
What if it came out when I was performing wudu?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
In your situation, it is clear you are seeking guidance on multiple issues related to your Islamic practices, including salah (prayer), awrah (modesty), family challenges, and purity (taharah).
I will address your questions individually, drawing on Islamic principles and teachings.
Traveling Alone:
In Hanafi Fiqh, the issue of a woman travelling without a mahram (a close male relative) is based on the hadith narrated by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):
“It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel the distance of a day and night except with a mahram.” (Sahih Bukhari, 1088)
In the classical Hanafi position, a woman should not travel alone for a long journey (which is typically understood to be 48 miles or more). However, Hanafi scholars acknowledge exceptions to this ruling, particularly in the context of necessity or for important reasons, such as seeking knowledge. Imam Abu Hanifa himself emphasised the importance of necessity (darura) in these rulings, especially when there is no alternative.
In modern contexts, many Hanafi scholars allow women to travel alone if they are in a safe and secure environment, particularly for education or work, if proper precautions are taken. This view is based on darura (necessity), and the changing nature of travel today compared to earlier times, when travelling was far more dangerous.
Offering Salah Properly:
The Hanafi madhhab emphasises the proper performance of salah, particularly the obligation to cover the awrah (areas of the body that must be covered in prayer). For women, this includes covering the entire body except the face, hands, and feet.
If you are in a situation where you are pressured not to cover properly during salah, this is not ideal, but you are not sinful if you are genuinely compelled. Imam al-Sarakhsi, a prominent Hanafi scholar, in his book Al-Mabsut, discusses how compulsion removes accountability in certain acts. Your efforts to practice correctly are what matter, and Allah judges your intention:
“Verily, deeds are only with intentions.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1)
Strive to pray correctly whenever you have the opportunity, and when you are not forced, try to cover properly for salah. The general Hanafi principle is that you are not sinful for things beyond your control.
- White Discharge and Salah:
Ruling on White Discharge:
In Hanafi jurisprudence, vaginal discharge is classified as one of two types:
- Normal discharge (white/clear): this is considered pure (Tahir) and does not break wudu.
2. Impure discharge (yellow or altered): This would require renewal of wudu.
According to Ibn Abidin, a key scholar in the Hanafi school, white discharge is categorised as normal so it does not invalidate wudu and is not considered impure if it does not have any sign of infection or impurity (Radd al-Muhtar, Vol. 1, Pg. 119).
Regarding your situation of waswas (doubts) about the colour of the discharge, the Hanafi principle of “certainty is not removed by doubt” applies. If you are certain that the discharge is white, you should ignore the waswas about it potentially being yellow. The ruling is that certainty (yaqeen) overrules doubts (shak). This principle is also based on a hadith:
“Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 2518)
Thus, if you are mostly sure that the discharge was white, continue your salah without concern. There is no need to repeat any salah unless you are certain that the discharge was impure (i.e., yellow).
Repeating Salah:
If you are uncertain about the colour of the discharge after completing your salah, there is no need to repeat the prayer unless you are certain the discharge was yellow. The Hanafi principle of ignoring doubts and following certainty means you should not repeat prayers unnecessarily, as this could lead to unhealthy waswas (Radd al-Muhtar, Vol. 1, Pg. 124). As long as you believe the discharge was white, your salah remains valid.
If discharge occurs during wudu and you are certain it is white, your wudu is valid, and you can proceed with your prayer. If the discharge was yellow and occurred during wudu, you would need to renew the wudu.
- Sin for Being Forced to Pray Improperly:
In Hanafi jurisprudence, intention (niyyah) and compulsion (ikrah) are critical factors when determining responsibility for acts of worship. If you are being compelled to pray in an improper way (such as without covering your awrah), you are not held accountable for this because Islamic law recognizes compulsion as a valid excuse. The principle of lifting of sin due to compulsion is derived from the Qur’an:
“But if one is forced by necessity without willful disobedience nor transgressing due limits, then there is no sin on him…” (Qur’an, 2:173)
Therefore, in summary:
Travelling Alone: In Hanafi fiqh, it is preferable not to travel without a mahram for long distances. However, in cases of necessity such as education, modern scholars may permit it if safety is assured.
White Discharge: White or clear discharge does not break wudu, and doubts (waswasa) should be ignored if you are mostly certain that the discharge was white. There is no need to repeat prayers unless you are certain the discharge was impure.
Family Pressure on Salah: If you are forced to pray incorrectly, you are not sinful. Try to perform salah properly when possible, and always prioritise sincerity and intention.
Only Allah knows best.
Answered by Alimah Shireen Mangera-Badat
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
دَّثَنَا آدَمُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ لاَ يَحِلُّ لاِمْرَأَةٍ تُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ أَنْ تُسَافِرَ مَسِيرَةَ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ لَيْسَ مَعَهَا حُرْمَةٌ ”. تَابَعَهُ يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ وَسُهَيْلٌ وَمَالِكٌ عَنِ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه.
عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَال بِالنِّيَّاتِ وَإِنَّمَا لكل امْرِئ مَا نَوَى فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى دُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوِ امْرَأَةٍ يَتَزَوَّجُهَا فَهجرَته إِلَى مَا هَاجر إِلَيْهِ
“والمذي نجس اتفاقًا، وأما الرطوبة الخارجة من فرج المرأة فإنها طاهرة على الصحيح ولا تنقض الوضوء إلا إذا كانت مصحوبة بشيء من النجاسة أو علامة مرض.”
Qawaaid Fiqiyyah – page 15
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُوسَى الأَنْصَارِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ بُرَيْدِ بْنِ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، عَنْ أَبِي الْحَوْرَاءِ السَّعْدِيِّ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِلْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ مَا حَفِظْتَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ حَفِظْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ دَعْ مَا يَرِيبُكَ إِلَى مَا لاَ يَرِيبُكَ فَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ طُمَأْنِينَةٌ وَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ رِيبَةٌ ” . وَفِي الْحَدِيثِ قِصَّةٌ . قَالَ وَأَبُو الْحَوْرَاءِ السَّعْدِيُّ اسْمُهُ رَبِيعَةُ بْنُ شَيْبَانَ . قَالَ وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ
