Does the Yellowish Discharge in the Pure State Invalidate Wudu?

Answered by Shaykh Abdurragmaan Khan

Question

My normal vaginal discharge is sometimes yellowish-tinted when I’m not menstruating and in a tahir state. Does it invalidate wudu?

Answer

There are two important discussions related to vaginal discharge:

Pure or Impure

Imam Bujayrami divided discharge in relation to its place of origin into three categories:

• From the apparent part of the female private. The apparent private is that part of the private that is exposed when a lady squats. Discharge emanating from here is pure by agreement.
• From deep inside the private. As defined by scholars, deep refers to the inside of her private that is not reached by the male organ while having conjugal relations. This discharge is considered impure by agreement.
• From inside the private (neither the apparent private or deep as explained above). Even though scholars differ regarding its ruling, the dominant view considers this discharge pure.

What Invalidates Wudu?

The discharge does not intrinsically invalidate one’s wudu. What does invalidate the ablution is “the exiting of anything from the privates.” Accordingly, when discharge emanates from inside the female private (2 and 3 above), it invalidates the wudu. If it originates from the apparent private, it will not invalidate the wudu.

The interesting question here, of course would be, what if the sister does not know or doubts where her discharge may have originated from? Ibn Hajar, in his Tuhfah answered this question and said that only when a lady has the conviction that her discharge emanated from the inside of her private will her wudu be invalid. In the instance where she is unsure, the default ruling is that her wudu remains intact. [Tuhfah vol. 1 pg. 214]

n.b. Shafi’i scholars generally consider yellow discharge after hayd or menstruation to be a continuation of hayd. Alternative positions, that you may adopt, that do not consider it part of hayd. And Allah knows best.

And Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Abdurragmaan Khan
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdurragmaan Khan received ijazah’ ammah from various luminaries, including but not restricted to: Habib Umar ibn Hafiz—a personality who affected him greatly and who has changed his relationship with Allah, Maulana Yusuf Karaan—the former Mufti of Cape Town; Habib’ Ali al-Mashhur—the current Mufti of Tarim; Habib’ Umar al-Jaylani—the Shafi’i Mufti of Makkah; Sayyid Ahmad bin Abi Bakr al-Hibshi; Habib Kadhim as-Saqqaf; Shaykh Mahmud Sa’id Mamduh; Maulana Abdul Hafiz al-Makki; Shaykh Ala ad-Din al-Afghani; Maulana Fazlur Rahman al-Azami and Shaykh Yahya al-Gawthani amongst others.