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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?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

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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