Back to search

Is it necessary to renew ablution for performing the Dawn prayer, the night vigil (Qiyam al-Layl), reciting the Quran before and after prayers, and upon leaving the house, for someone who experiences continuous vaginal discharge and istihada (non-menstrual vaginal bleeding)?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A woman experiencing irregular bleeding (istihadah), and those in a similar state (such as those with urinary incontinence or vaginal discharge), must perform ablution (wudu') for each prayer after its time has begun, because their purity is a purity of necessity (darurah). Ablution performed before the prayer time begins is not sufficient. A woman experiencing irregular bleeding may recite the Qur'an without ablution, unless she will touch the Mushaf (the physical copy of the Qur'an), in which case ablution is obligatory for touching it. She may combine two prayers according to the Hanbalis. She may also adopt the view of the Malikis, who do not require ablution for every prayer for someone whose ritual impurity is continuous, in cases of extreme necessity. However, the original principle is to act upon the view of the majority of scholars as a precaution for religious matters.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy