This fluid that constantly comes out of a woman, does it require the full ritual bath?

The questioner : Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah.

The questioner :The Shaykh : Nasser Al-Albani?

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : e : May I ask you a question?

The Shaykh: Please, go ahead.

The questioner: Regarding continuous semen, does it invalidate the ablution?

The Shaykh: Continuous semen, does this mean you are sick?

The questioner : No.

The Shaykh: Or is it possible that you don't know how to ask?

The questioner: No, I am not sick.

The Shaykh: There is no continuous semen from a person of sound constitution. Are you asking about a man's semen or a woman's?

The questioner: A woman's.

The Shaykh: May Allah guide you. If you are asking aboutThe questioner : , the semen you are asking about, does it come out with desire or without desire?

The questioner: Without desire.

The Shaykh: May Allah guide you. This is not called semen. This is a fluid that comes out of a woman, and it is not semen. If it were semen, the full ritual bath would be obligatory for her if she has reached puberty. But this is a fluid. Some scholars say it only requires the ablution, and the correct view is that it does not require the ablution. Then, those who say that the ablution is required from this fluid that comes out of a woman, if it flows from her constantly as you say, this is like incontinence of urine. Do you know incontinence of urine?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh: Good. So, whoever has incontinence of urine, whether a man or a woman, is considered one of those with an excuse, like the woman with irregular non-menstrual bleeding, who has a constant flow of blood, and she is not a menstruating woman, do you distinguish between them?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh: Good. So, the woman with irregular non-menstrual bleeding who has a flow of blood, she is one of those with an excuse. It is obligatory for her to perform the ablution for every prayer, and it is not permissible for her to pray a second prayer. Likewise, this person you are talking about, who has this flow which you thought was semen, if this flow is continuous with her.

The questioner: What is semen?

The Shaykh: I told you, semen comes out of a man or a woman by ejaculation with desire.

The questioner: Does semen come out with desire or without desire?

The Shaykh: No. Semen that comes out without desire does not require the full ritual bath. Semen that comes out without ejaculation, without desire, does not require the full ritual bath. Let us stick to your first question for now. If we finish with it, and a second question comes to your mind, we may address it. You now know that this liquid fluid from the woman, and as I said, a fluid that flows constantly, does not require the full ritual bath, but rather it requires the ablution for every prayer. However, if it is occasional, such that its owner is not one of those with an excuse like the woman with irregular non-menstrual bleeding, then when she sees this fluid, she performs the ablution. If it stops after the ablution, she prays as much as she wishes. If she sees it again, she performs the ablution, and so on. Do you understand the matter?

The questioner: But I read in books of Islamic jurisprudence that the menstruating woman performs the ablution when the time for prayer enters.

The Shaykh: Yes, but do not say "menstruating woman," say "woman with irregular non-menstrual bleeding" ... .

The questioner: Woman with irregular non-menstrual bleeding. But in some excuses, but when I want to go to school, I want to perform the ablution before the start of the day, so before the call to the midday prayer.

The Shaykh : It is not permissible.

The questioner: Okay, there is no possibility, except with great difficulty, to perform the ablution at school because our school is open.

The Shaykh: Okay, when do you return from school?

The questioner: I return at four o'clock.

The Shaykh: In this case, it is better for you, and more honorable for you, that you just return home, perform the ablution, and pray the midday and afternoon prayers combined with delay. Do you understand me?

The questioner: Yes, meaning I pray only four units.

The Shaykh: No, May Allah guide you. Are you a traveler or a resident?

The questioner: I am a resident.

The Shaykh: Okay, you want to pray the midday and afternoon prayers combined with delay, meaning you pray four units of the obligatory midday prayer, and you conclude the prayer, then you pray four units of the obligatory afternoon prayer. Is that clear?

The questioner: It is four o'clock, but the call to the afternoon prayer will not have been made.

The Shaykh: Good. If you are praying in your house, you pray the midday prayer in its time in your house. Why are you hesitating about delaying the prayer? I thought you would not return until after the afternoon prayer. Since you come before the afternoon prayer, it is not permissible for you to perform the ablution before the call to prayer and go to the house while you are in a state of ablution with this excuse. So, delay your prayer to return to your house.