11th July 2018
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
Question: If a woman sees yellow discharge very frequently then is that classed as menstruation?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
With reference to yellow discharge there are a few different rulings.
- The general ruling is that yellow discharge is classed as menstruation if it is seen within the days of menstruation. There are six colours of blood/discharge which are classed as period if seen within the days of menstruation. These are: red, black, yellow, green, light brown, dark brown.[1] If yellow is seen outside of the days of menstruation days then it won’t be classed as menses and she can continue praying her Salāh.
For illustration purposes let’s say a woman who does not frequently see yellow discharge and has a period habit of 7 days experiences. There are two scenarios:
Scenario 1;
| Date | Blood Seen | Ruling |
| 1st -2nd Dec | Red Blood | Period |
| 3rd Dec | Nothing seen | Period |
| 4th Dec | Yellow discharge | Period |
| 5th-6th Dec | Brown Blood | Period |
| 7th Dec | Yellow discharge | Period |
Scenario 2:
| Date | Blood Seen | Ruling |
| 1st -2nd Dec | Yellow discharge | Period |
| 3rd Dec | Red blood | Period |
| 4th Dec | Yellow discharge | Period |
| 5th-6th Dec | Brown Blood | Period |
| 7th Dec | Red blood | Period |
2. If someone very frequently sees yellow discharge throughout the month outside of the normal haidh habit then her yellow discharge will not be classed as haidh.[2]
For illustration purpose, let’s say a woman who has a habit of seeing yellow discharge very frequently with a normal habit of 7 days sees the following;
| Date | Blood Seen | Ruling |
| 1st – 15th Dec | Yellow discharge | Days of purity |
| 16th – 19th Dec | Nothing | Purity |
| 20th – 30th Dec | Yellow discharge | Purity |
| 1st – 5th Jan | Red blood | Period |
| 6th-7th Jan | Green/Brown blood | Period |
| 8th– 9th Jan | Yellow discharge | Purity |
In the above scenario, despite the woman seeing yellow discharge for 10 days from the 20th -30th after 15 days of purity, this yellow discharge will not be classed as period. Also, the yellow discharge she saw on the 8th-9th will also not be classed as period even though it is at the end of her period. This ruling is for that woman who sees yellow discharge excessively, otherwise if a woman rarely sees yellow discharge then the 8th and 9th of January will be classed as periods as its within 10 days and hence, changing her habit from 7 to 9 days.
So to summarize, seeing yellow discharge that is very frequent will be classed as period bleeding only if seen during the normal days of menstruation and not outside of her normal habit as illustrated above. If she rarely sees yellow discharge then it will be classed as periods provided if it occurs within ten days and not beyond that and not during the 15 days of her purity days otherwise it will be classed as Istihadhah bleeding.
A final note that yellow discharge that is not classed as periods is still impure and nullifies the wudhu. Hence, she must do istinjaa and renew her wudhu but if it is very frequent fulfilling the laws of ma’zoor, then simply renew the wudhu once for every fardh Salāh.
Written by: Apa Sajeda Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Al Fatawa al Hindiyya , Kitab al-taharah , Baab dima al-muktassa binisa . V1 pg. 36
وَمِنْهَا أَنْ يَكُونَ عَلَى لَوْنٍ مِنْ الْأَلْوَانِ السِّتَّةِ: السَّوَادُ وَالْحُمْرَةُ وَالصُّفْرَةُ وَالْكُدْرَةُ وَالْخُضْرَةُ وَالتُّرْبِيَةُ هَكَذَا فِي النِّهَايَةِ
Al Bahr Al Raiq, Kitab al-taharah, Baab kiyfiyat alhaidh . V1 pg. 202
اعْلَمْ أَنَّ أَلْوَانَ الدِّمَاءِ سِتَّةٌ: السَّوَادُ وَالْحُمْرَةُ وَالصُّفْرَةُ وَالْكُدْرَةُ وَالْخُضْرَةُ وَالتُّرَبِيَّةُ وَهِيَ الَّتِي عَلَى لَوْنِ التُّرَابِ نَوْعٌ مِنْ الْكُدْرَةِ وَهِيَ نِسْبَةٌ إلَى التُّرْبِ بِمَعْنَى التُّرَابِ،
Al Raddul almuhtaar ala Durril Mukhtar, Kitaab al-tahara, Baab Al-haidh . V1 pg. 289
)قَوْلُهُ كَكُدْرَةٍ وَتَرْبِيَةٍ) اعْلَمْ أَنَّ أَلْوَانَ الدِّمَاءِ سِتَّةٌ: هَذَانِ وَالسَّوَادُ وَالْحُمْرَةُ وَالصُّفْرَةُ وَالْخَضِرَةُ
[2] Kasani, Badai Sanai Kitab Taharat Chapter on menstruation and its rulings Volume 1, Page 39.
وَأَمَّا الصُّفْرَةُ فَقَدْ اخْتَلَفَ الْمَشَايِخُ فِيهَا فَقَدْ كَانَ الشَّيْخُ أَبُو مَنْصُورٍ يَقُولُ إذَا رَأَتْ فِي أَوَّلِ أَيَّامِ الْحَيْضِ ابْتِدَاءً كَانَ حَيْضًا أَمَّا إذَا رَأَتْ فِي آخِرِ أَيَّامِ الطُّهْرِ، وَاتَّصَلَ بِهِ أَيَّامَ الْحَيْضِ لَا يَكُونُ حَيْضًا
Ibnul Alla’, Fatawa Tatarkhaniya, Kitab al Taharah, Vol 1, Pg 474
وفي الغياثية: الصحيح أن الصفرة حيض…و كان الشيخ ابو منصور الماتريدي رحمه الله مرة يقول في الصفرة: إذا رأتها ابرداء في زمان الحيض إنها حيض، و أما إذا رأتها في زمان الطهر و اتصل ذلك بزمان الحيض، فإنها لا تكون حيضا، ومرة يقول: إذا اعتادت المرأة أن تري أيام الطهر صفرة و أيام الحيض حمرة فحكم صفرتها يكون حكم الطهر حتي لو امتدت هي بها لم يحكم لها بالحيض في شيء في هذه الصفرة، و حكمها حكم الطهر علي قول أكثر المشايخ رحمهم الله
Ibn Abideen’, Raddul Mutaar, Kitab al Taharah, Vol 1, Pg 289
[وفي المعراج عن فخر الأئمة: لو أفتى مفت بشيء من هذه الأقوال في مواضع الضرورة طلبا للتيسير كان حسنا. اهـ وخصه بالضرورة؛ لأن هذه الألوان كلها حيض في أيامه لما في موطأ مالك ” كانت النساء يبعثن إلى عائشة بالدرجة فيها الكرسف فيه الصفرة من دم الحيض لتنظر إليه فتقول: لا تعجلن حتى ترين القصة البيضاء تريد بذلك الطهر من الحيض ” اهـ والدرجة: بضم الدال وفتح الجيم خرقة ونحوها تدخلها المرأة في فرجها لتعرف أزال الدم أم لا. والقصة بفتح القاف وتشديد الصاد المهملة الجصة؛ والمعنى أن تخرج الدرجة كأنها قصة لا يخالطها صفرة ولا تربية؛ وهو مجاز عن الانقطاع.