Does White Discharge That Dries Yellowish Mark the End of My Period?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

When checking using a kursuf for the end of my period, how long should it be left in? And can I check right after washing after urination, or should some time pass before checking? I often have apparent discharge when checking right after washing, but it is light yellow if using a kursuf and checking after an hour or two, so I am unsure when to start praying again.

Answer

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

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

Yes, seeing a white discharge indicates that your menstrual period has ended and that the duty for you to pray on time is back. [Maydani, al-Lubab]

Normal white discharge can often change color and become yellow after oxidization. You can assume that to be the case in your situation. You would not be required to repeat the ritual bath (ghusl) if you saw a yellowish stain on your undergarments after the end of your menstrual period.

The basis is that your menstrual period ends when you see clear or white discharge or no discharge at all. The way to make this judgment is to use a kursuf (a piece of cotton or the like placed at the labial lips) because colors can often oxidize, making them seem different from what they are. (Hence white or clear can look yellow.)

You can find more beneficial details on this issue at this link:
How Can I Know the End of My Menstrual Period?

And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found. Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others. He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.