Are intermittent black discharges after a two-month cessation of menstruation considered menses, and do they necessitate ritual purification and abstaining from prayer and fasting?
Scholars have differed in determining the minimum duration of menstruation. We have adopted the view that if blood does not persist for a day and a night, it is not considered menstruation. Thus, if bloody discharge appears after the minimum period of purity (fifteen days) and continues for a day and a night, it is menses. Types of menstrual blood include black blood, yellowish discharge (ṣufrah), and brownish discharge (kudrah) during the time of menstruation. A menstruating woman is not required to fast or pray, nor to perform ritual purification through ablution (wuḍūʾ) or a full bath (ghusl) before the cessation of menstrual blood. If the discharge is intermittent, it has a different ruling. Menstrual blood is impure, and whatever of it touches clothing or the body must be washed.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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