White Discharge and Preventing Discharge from Breaking Wudu

Answered by Ustadha Shaista Maqbool
Question: Asalaamu alaykum,
I recently found out discharge breaks wudu (discolored).
a) Is white discharge considered discolored?
b) I heard about something called Kursuf but I wasn’t given much information on the topic. I heard about using a cotton wool to prevent discharge when traveling for example. Is there anyway to prevent discharge from breaking my wudu? Or is there any advice you could give me on the topic of traveling, discharge and when wudu facilities are not available?
Answer: Wa’alikum assalam wa rahmatullahi,
1- White discharge is not considered discolored so it does not break wudu according to the Hanafi school.
2 – The kursuf is a cotton or similar which a woman place at the vaginal opening between the lips of the vagina to check for blood, this is according to the Hanafi school. Also according to the Hanafi school, discharge does not break wudu, according to the most relied upon opinion, therefore, there is no need to insert a kursuf to prevent discharge.
The information you were given may be according to the Shafi’i school. Discharge, white or clear, breaks wudu in the Shafi’i school. Women may insert the kursuf into the vagina to prevent discharge so they can keep their wudu for longer periods of time. If you adhere to the Shafi’i school, this is a way to keep your wudu when you are travelling.
Nonetheless, even if wudu facilities are not available and you have to make wudu, as long as there is water it should not be too difficult to make wudu.
wasalaam,
Shaista Maqbool
Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani