Should I Take a Ghusl Ten Days after My Period?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

The question that I have is about the end of periods. I have read the answers regarding this, but I am still confused. At the end of my period, the red blood starts to lighten to yellow, and I start to wait for the sign of purity. But the white and clear discharge does not come alone; it always has yellow in it, I use a tissue to check. And sometimes it is lightly yellow.

Should I wait for the discharge to be only white or only clear to get a ghusl, or should I get a ghusl after ten days? I feel guilty because I think I am lying to myself.

Answer

Thank you for your question. There is no reason to think that you are lying to yourself. Your period is only over when you have total clear or total white discharge. If it takes a couple of more days to get to this point, just keep waiting. The yellow is still menstruation. You would not take a ghusl on the tenth day; you would take a ghusl when you see white or clear.

If your discharge does not become clear or white until after the tenth day, then you need to look at the rules of istihada in the Hanafi school: What Should I Do When My Menstruation Exceeds Ten Days?

Don’t hesitate to follow up. May Allah reward you.

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.