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How can one differentiate between pre-seminal fluid (madhiy), seminal fluid (maniy), and vaginal discharge (rutubah)? And what is the definition of intense arousal (shahwah) and peak pleasure (ladhdhah quswa)? This is crucial for ensuring the validity of prayer, especially for an unmarried girl who finds it difficult to differentiate despite her attempts to avoid stimulants.

1 min readAlso available in العربية

From women, mani (seminal fluid), madhi (pre-seminal fluid), and rutubah (vaginal discharge) are emitted, each having its own characteristics and rulings. Mani is yellowish, thin, has an odor similar to dough, and is emitted with pleasure and desire, followed by relaxation. It is pure, but necessitates ghusl (ritual bath). Madhi is a white, viscous fluid emitted upon thinking about or intending intercourse, without pleasure. It is impure, invalidates wudu (ablution), and necessitates washing it off clothes and the body. Rutubah (vaginal discharge) refers to transparent secretions from the uterus, not linked to thought or desire. It is pure but invalidates wudu.

If a person doubts whether what was emitted is mani or madhi, they may choose between the two (and apply the ruling for either). As for the one afflicted by waswasah (obsessive whispering), it is advised to ignore the waswasah and not pay attention to it, and merely sprinkle water on the private parts and underwear upon seeing wetness.

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

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