Aslam

Praise be to Allah.

Women’s problems with their menses are endless, and one of

the causes of that is their use of contraceptive pills and pills used to

prevent menstruation.

People never used to face such problems before. It is true

that there have always been some problems since the Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allaah be upon him) came and since women were created, but this

situation where people are so confused is something regrettable. However,

the basic principle is that if a woman becomes pure (her period ends) and

she sees the tuhr (white discharge) which signals that her period has indeed

ended, then any brownish or yellowish discharge that she sees after that, or

any drops or wetness, is not menses, so it does not prevent her form

praying, fasting or having intercourse with her husband, because it is not

menses.

Umm ‘Atiyyah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “We used

not to regard the yellowish or brownish discharge after the tuhr as anything

important.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari. Abu Dawood added the phrase “after the

tuhr”. Its isnaad is saheeh.

Based on this we say: Everything that happens after the

definite tuhr does not affect the woman and it does not prevent her from

praying, fasting and having intercourse with her husband. But she should not

be in a hurry to see the tuhr because some women, when the flow becomes

lighter, hasten to do ghusl before seeing the tuhr. Hence the women of the

Sahaabah used to send pieces of cotton to the Mother of the Believers

‘Aa’ishah on which there were traces of yellow, and she would say to them:

“Do not hasten until you see the white discharge.”