Can a Woman Keep a Kursuf in Place and Assume Her Wudu Is Intact?


Shafi'i Fiqh

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

Can a woman place kursuf (tissue)between the labia to remain pure even if there is discharge on the tissue on the side touching the opening of the vagina and the other side is dry?

Would discharge be considered still exiting private parts, or does the discharge have to be outside the entire vagina, that which is visible when the labia is closed? Can a woman do this before bed, and if the visible part of kursuf is dry, can she assume she is pure and doesn’t need to check for discharge and determine whether she must make a ghusl? In both cases where she saw and didn’t see a wet dream?

There is skin that connects to the labia over the top of the vaginal opening, do I have to make sure the kursuf is right at the opening even if it hurts?

Answer

Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for your sincerity and for seeking to worship Allah Most High correctly.

Discharge

In the Shafi’i school, if discharge comes into the area that is visible when squatting, she must perform her ablution (wudu) again. This is because it is still considered to have exited whether a tissue caught it or not.

Please see the details here:
What Is the Ruling on Normal Vaginal Discharge in the Shafi’i School?

Wet Dream

If a woman wakes up not remembering a wet dream, she doesn’t need to check for discharge. But if she recalls having a wet dream, she should check for discharge, and the presence of this kursuf/tissue will not prevent its presence, it will only prevent it from spreading. She should not assume that she is pure if she remembers having a wet dream. If she does not recall a wet dream at all but finds discharge, she can assume it is madhy (arousal discharge) and purify her clothing from it.

Please see the details here:
To What Extent Should I Go in Checking the Nature of a Discharge After Waking Up?
How Do I Deal with Wet Dreams and Involuntary Arousal?

Pain

The kursuf should be placed in a way that isn’t painful. Islamic law never asks one to do something that is painful.

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.