Does Vaginal Discharge Break the Ablution?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch 

Question

Does clear or slightly yellow vaginal discharge, outside of the days of menstruation, break the wudu? Is this discharge impure? What is the necessary amount of the head that must be wiped in wudu? How much must I wash in Istinjaa?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

The wetness of the vagina is considered pure. Thus any clear discharge from it during the days of purity between menstruations does not break the wudu. [Haskafi, al-Durr al-Mukhtar]

Therefore you do not need to change any garments due to contact with this discharge.

The Minimum Wiping in Wudu

When performing wudu, it is obligatory to wipe at least one-fourth of the head. The portion of the head which counts in the wiping is the portion of the head that is above the ears [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah].

Note that if one has their hair tied up on the head, wiping over that hair would not count since its original place – if it were not tied up, it would be below the ears.

Istinja

When performing istinja, one only needs to wash the place of the filth. Thus if you only urinate, washing the anus is unnecessary, and vice versa.

Note that istinja itself is sunna and not obligatory [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah].

How to Deal with Impurities

Allah Most High has not burdened anyone beyond their capacity. He, Most High says, “And Allah has not put, upon you, in the religion, any undue hardship.” [Quran, 22:78]

These types of misgivings are all too common in regard to matters of purification. Shaytan plays on people’s sincerity in their religion and incites them toward false caution.

What is True Caution?

True caution is to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace).

Misgivings (Waswasa)

For the one who is constantly in doubt, abandoning caution is often the best cure.

“As for the one who is often inflicted with waswasa, it is necessary for them to sever the cause of the waswasa and not to give it any consideration. This is because it is the doing of Shaytan, and we have been commanded to oppose him” [Hashiyah Ibn Abidin].

Knowledge

The long-term cure for these constant doubts is to seek a deeper understanding of Islamic Knowledge. With knowledge, Shaytan can not deceive you with his whispers and plots. I would advise that you find authentic scholars in your area and study with them a basic text in Islamic Jurisprudence.

Please note that SeekersGuidance.org has classes available in Islamic Jurisprudence and many other subjects.

May Allah ease all of your affairs and protect you and us from the plots of Shaytan.

Allahu A’alam

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he then completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and a number of texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.