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Fatwa CenterWaswaas about purity from feminine discharge
Question
Assalaamu alaykum. I read that women have to perform ablution for every prayer due to the female discharge, and that discharge from the uterus is pure but impure from the urethra. I apply this as much as I can, and since I cannot distinguish between urethral and uterus discharge, I wash my private parts before every prayer and sprinkle water on my clothes if I see any discharge. However, what can I do when I am outside or if I have to pray on the road or am travelling? This discharge is spontaneous. It sometimes happens frequently, and sometimes there are days in between, and I cannot feel it when it happens. It is not always convenient to find a toilet to check my undergarments. If I cannot manage to perform ablution or if it is too difficult, can I pray without renewing my ablution then (assuming that I still have ablution from the previous prayer)? I also face some Waswaas (devilish whisperings) regarding this. After cleaning myself, I feel the need to immediately perform ablution and that otherwise some discharge might come out and my ablution would not be valid. So if I by chance break my ablution, even after 5 minutes, I feel like I need to wash my private parts all over again before performing ablution. Also, after showering, I feel scared to use a towel near my private area in case urethral discharge gets on it. Do you have any practical advice regarding that? Can I perform ablution for the Maghrib prayer before the time starts given that the time for it is short?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
First of all, we advise you to avoid Waswaas, ignore it, and not pay any attention to it. You are not obliged to examine yourself and investigate whether or not you have some discharge. Rather, it is sufficient to act on the principle that you have no discharge unless you are certain of the contrary to this. You may perform ablution whenever you wish and pray whatever prayers you wish to pray with this ablution until you are very certain to the extent that you can swear that your ablution has been invalidated.
If you see discharge and doubt about the time it came out, then consider that it came out at the most recent possible time. Please, refer to fatwa 152643. If you doubt about the discharge that you see and whether it is pure or impure, then in principle it is pure, and you should rely on this principle and act according to it.
In general, if you disregard Waswaas and pay no attention to it, then you will not encounter any problem, Allaah willing.
Allaah knows best.
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