Home
Discover Islam
Quran Recitations
Lectures
Fatwa
Articles
Fiqh
E-Books
Women
Boys & Girls 
Enter Question
View By Subject
Fatwa Of The Week
Selected Fatwa
Fatwa CenterYellowish discharge after end of menses
Question
Assalaamu alaykum. My question is regarging purity from menses. I performed Ghusl (ritual bath) on the 10th day, as I thought my menses to be over considering that the discharge which I got was very lightlyy tainted with yellow. It could be seen only when observed carefully. I considered it as normal vaginal discharge. However, after I took a bath, I noticed a clear yellow discharge having the smell of eggs; it is the same smell I got before my menses and during the initial time of the menses, so I did not pray. On the 12th day, again at the time of Fajr, I checked for a discharge, and there was clear wetness at one time when i checked, and then there was no smell when I checked at another time, but I got the smell with the same slight yellow discharge again, so I did not pray the Fajr. However, before the Thuhr, I did not check the discharge's color with cotton. I checked it with my finger and felt normal wetness and no smell. While doing Ghusl though, I again checked, and I got a very faint smell. I thought that maybe it was normal for me, as it was the 12th day, but after I performed Ghusl, I saw a semi-transparent discharge with a yellow tint. I again got confused, but I was almost sure that there was only wetness, but I did not check. I performed my prayers. Then, the next day, I saw a yellow discharge. It could be due to ejaculation also, I thought, as I have some abnormal psychological disorder in that I get strange feelings with no real arousal and release ejaculation, but I got the same egg smell as that of my initial menses. I am in total confusion as to what to do. I am distressed because of this disorder and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). Are the prayers which I prayed valid or not? Should I pray now or not?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
It is obvious that you are overwhelmed by OCD and Waswaas (obsessive whisperings). What you should do is perform Ghusl upon seeing one of the two signs of the end of menses: the white discharge or dryness (i.e. the cessation of blood). You should disregard any brownish or yellowish discharges that you see after that, as yellowish and brownish discharges after the end of menses are not considered part of menses according to the preponderant opinion of the scholars.
Hence, you attained purity the first time your menses was over and you performed Ghusl. The yellowish discharge that you saw after that is not considered menses. If you do that and perform Ghusl upon seeing the sign of purity, you will not be confused at all. If it is difficult for you to determine purity or distinguish the yellowish discharge from normal wetness, and given the fact that you suffer from OCD, you may follow the scholarly view that the brownish and yellowish discharges are never considered part of menses. This was the chosen view of Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah 
. So whenever the red blood ceases, perform Ghusl and pray.
As for the ejaculation, we believe that this is generated by your doubts and that it is not actually ejaculation. In any case, you are not obliged to perform Ghusl unless you are certain that you ejaculated to such an extent that you can swear that you did. Without such certainty, you are not obliged to perform Ghusl. If you doubt whether the discharge is ejaculate or something else, you may choose what to consider it to be and apply the relevant ruling.
Finally, you should strive to ward off obsessive doubts and give them no attention whatsoever for, indeed, getting carried away with them would lead you to grave evils.
Allah knows best.
Search Fatwa
Fatwa Subject
