The difference between maniy, madhiy and other secretions, and what should be done when one is unsure about that

Question

I have read your articles having to do with maniy and madhiy, but up till now I cannot differentiate properly between them, which is causing me some anxiety, especially since I have read what you say, then I have read other fatwas, and it is still not clear to me. Is it possible to explain in more detail? I often think to myself and wonder: Was this emission accompanied by pleasure or not? and I am very confused. For example, sometimes a thought crosses my mind and I try to ward it off, to the point that when I am doing something, and a thought crosses my mind, I get up and move, and leave what I was doing, so that I can ward it off. But when I check, I find something clear and colourless, mixed with something white and glistening. Is this madhiy or maniy or moisture? How can a young woman who is not married differentiate between them? Even though I do not watch TV shows or look at men, sometimes when I am out and about, a thought may cross my mind in the car, even if I do not look at men, and I try hard to ward off those thoughts. I want to know what exactly desire is, and what is the ultimate pleasure? I want a detailed discussion so that the matter will become clear to me and my prayer will be sound. Please do not give me links, because they will only make me more confused and tired.

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

What comes out of a woman may be maniy, madhiy or regular discharge, which is called “moisture”. Each of these has its own characteristics and rulings that apply to it.

With regard to maniy, its characteristics are as follows:

1. It is thin and yellow. This is the description that is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “The water of the man is thick and white, and the water of the woman is thin and yellow.” Narrated by Muslim (311).

It may be white for some women.

2. It smells like pollen when it is still wet, and the smell of date-tree pollen is similar to the smell of dough. Its smell after it has dried is like that of egg whites.

3. There is pleasure and desire when it is emitted, and desire ceases immediately after it is emitted.

It is not stipulated that all three characteristics appear at once, rather one is sufficient to rule that it is maniy. This was stated by al-Nawawi in al-Majmoo‘ (2/141).

He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: With regard to the maniy of the woman, it is yellow and thin, or it may be white.

It has two characteristics and may be known by one of them:

The first is that its smell is like the smell of a man’s maniy [which smells like dough].

The second is that pleasure is felt when it is emitted, and the pleasure dissipates immediately after its emission [and is followed by languidity].”(Sharh Muslim 3/222).

With regard to madhiy:

It is white (clear) and sticky, and is emitted when thinking of or wanting intercourse, but no pleasure is felt when it is emitted, and it is not followed by languidity.

This applies to both men and women. It may be said that it applies more to women than men.

With regard to moisture:

This is the discharge that comes from the uterus; it is clear and a woman may not notice it. Women vary in the amount they emit.

Thus it is clear that the issue of maniy is not confusing, because it has a distinctive smell, and because it is emitted as a result of desire and pleasure is felt when it is emitted. Madhiy and moisture do not have that smell.

But madhiy is emitted after thinking, looking and so on, i.e., after there is desire, although it is not accompanied by desire and pleasure at the time of emission; rather a person may not be aware of it when it is emitted.

Maniy is accompanied by desire and pleasure; madhiy is preceded by desire but is not accompanied by that at the time of emission.

As for moisture, it is something regular that is not connected to thinking or looking, and is not preceded by desire.

What is most likely with regard to what is mentioned above is that it is madhiy, because it is emitted after thinking about that which provokes desire.

If it is not connected to thinking, then it is secretions and moisture.

Secondly:

Maniy is taahir (pure) and ghusl is required after emitting it.

Madhiy is najis (impure) and invalidates Wudu, and it must be washed off one’s clothes and body.

Moisture is taahir but it invalidates Wudu.

Thirdly:

If a person is not sure whether what has been emitted is maniy or madhiy, he has the choice to decide what it is, and then should apply the appropriate ruling to it. This is the view of ash-Shaafa‘i and it makes matters easier for the questioner and for anyone who is suffering from waswaas (whispers from the Shaytaan or intrusive thoughts).

It says in Mughni al-Muhtaaj (1/215): If it is possible that what has been emitted may be maniy or may be something else, such as wadiy or madhiy, then he may choose and decide which one it is, according to the correct opinion. If he decides that it is maniy then he must do ghusl; if he decides it is something else then he must do Wudu and wash off whatever has got onto him, because if he decides that it is one of these things, then [by doing what is appropriate in that case] he will definitely have dealt with the matter appropriately. As for the other two things that it could be, in principle they have not happened and he does not have to worry about them. End quote.

Fourthly:

What appears to be the case from your question is that you are affected by waswasah (whispers from the Shaytaan or intrusive thoughts). Our advice to you is that you should ignore it and not pay any attention to it, and not look at your garment or check to see whether anything came out or not. Rather the one who is affected by waswasah is advised to sprinkle water on his or her private part and underwear, and if any wetness is seen, then he or she will think that it is the traces of the water that he or she sprinkled on it. Thus the waswasah will be dispelled in sha Allah.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If someone suffers from occasional emission of madhiy, then he may deal with it by making sure to wash it off when cleaning himself [after relieving himself], and sprinkling water around his private part when doing Wudu. Then after that, if intrusive thoughts (waswaas) come to him, he should say to himself that this is part of the water that he sprinkled so that he may be certain that nothing came out of him.

So long as you have the slightest uncertainty, you should ignore this matter and not touch your underwear or check anything.

But if this moisture is present all the time, then this is more akin to incontinence, so you have to do Wudu when the time for prayer begins, and pray according to your situation, if the madhiy is constant.

But if it only happens sometimes when going out of the house, then it is like urine or wind: if anything comes out, it invalidates Wudu, and if nothing comes out, then praise be to Allah.

So long as you feel any uncertainty, even if it is only a little, even if it is only one percent, then do not pay any attention to this matter, and you should regard it is something imaginary that is not true.”(Majmoo‘ Fatawa Ibn Baz 29/20).

And Allah knows best.