Is Sticky White Substance a Vaginal Discharge or Pre-seminal Fluid (Madhi)?


Hanafi Fiqh

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

I wasn’t sure if I was aroused, so I checked my underwear and found a bit of sticky white substance that I believed was vaginal discharge. In such a case, what should be done?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

I pray you are well.

Vaginal Discharge

Vaginal discharge is a normal occurrence for many females. It can exit anytime. It is a healthy bodily function and your body’s way of cleaning. Any discharge that leaves the vagina, whether clear or white, will not break one’s wudu.  [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

Madhi

Madhi is a pre-seminal fluid discharged when one is aroused or has a sexual desire or a thought. It is a thin white fluid. As it is impure, wudu is necessary. It does not require a bath. [Ibid]

In your case, you will determine whether it was discharge or pre-seminal fluid (madhi).

Doubts and Baseless Misgivings

I want to recommend you read “Ritual Purity-Related Issues” from the OCD Reader below:
A Reader on OCD and Waswasa (Baseless Misgivings)

I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.