Madhy
*Madhy* (also written *madhi* or *madhiy*) is pre-seminal fluid, a fluid distinct from semen (*mani*).
What it means for me: The answers treat madhy as its own case in purity questions. One says madhi is impure and nullifies ablution, and the penis must be washed. Another says if madhiy is discharged, the fast is not invalidated. A third says for madhy, sprinkling water is sufficient; the case is in the answer itself.
Example: A man notices a damp spot on his clothes and cannot tell what it is. Before asking what to do, he needs to know which word applies.
Do not confuse with: Semen (*mani*). One answer says not all that leaves the penis is semen. It may be madhy, which that answer calls impure, needing only wudu, not ghusl (the full ritual bath). See mani and ghusl.
If scholars differ: The answers differ on what is washed. The first says the penis must be washed, and according to some scholars, the testicles as well. The difference is reported here, not decided.
Where it appears in rulings: Take one case. An answer says if you wish, you may consider it madhy and wash only what it has affected. The case it addresses is in the answer itself; read it in full. Another says istinja (ritual cleansing) is not necessary for something one doubts is madhy or a vaginal discharge. The default, it says, is that madhy has not been emitted.
Appears in about 1,400 English answers on this site.
See the term in context
Is what the Shaykh said true: that merely looking or remembering does not necessitate the emission of pre-seminal fluid (madhy), and therefore neither istinja' (washing the private parts) nor wudu' (ablution) for prayer is required, or did he issue an incorrect fatwa due to the difficulty of performing istinja' at work?
If you are not certain about the emission of madhy (pre-seminal fluid), then neither ablution (wudu') nor purifying the spot and clothes is obligatory upon you, because the original state is purity, and certainty is not…
Does madhy have a smell, especially if the smell is strange, and what is the ruling concerning the white, viscous fluid that has the characteristics of madhy, but its time of emission is not precisely known?
As long as you are certain that what is coming out is madhy (pre-seminal fluid) because its characteristic is that of madhy, then wudu' (ablution) is obligatory after it, and the body and clothes must be purified. Madhy…
What is the ruling on someone who performed Umrah after their marriage and experienced a frequent discharge of pre-seminal fluid (madhy), so they performed ablution (wudu') for the circumambulation (tawaf) and the madhy was discharged twice, then they completed their Umrah considering it a necessity, and then had intercourse with their wife after returning?
Madhy (pre-seminal fluid) is impure and invalidates ablution (wudu'). However, if its discharge is continuous and does not stop, then its ruling is similar to that of urinary incontinence or irregular vaginal bleeding…
Questions that use it
Was what came out of me after waking up from sleep madhy (prostatic fluid), or maniy (sperm), or just moisture? And what is the ruling concerning my prayers if I performed wudu based on the assumption that it was madhy? And is it permissible to wash the area with the intention of it being madhy after performing istinja if I had urinated before it?
What should I do about the recurring discharge of madhy during phone conversations with my fiancée, and how do I deal with prayer in this situation? Does the discharge of madhy necessitate ghusl, or is it sufficient to wash only the place of its exit?
What is the ruling on Hajj if madhy (pre-seminal fluid) is discharged from the pilgrim in a state of ihram due to talking to his wife or thinking about divorcing her, knowing that he frequently experiences madhy and that this Hajj was on behalf of his father?