Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a

Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a (Issues Specific to Women) is a contemporary treatise on female ritual purity (taharah) by the Saudi scholar Ruqayyah al-Muharib, completed in 1425 AH (2004 CE) Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a+1. The work addresses specialized jurisprudential questions concerning women's menstrual and non-menstrual discharge, criteria for ritual purification, and practical guidance for resolving doubts and obsessive scruples (waswas) in worship Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a+1.

Background and Composition

The book originated from an earlier standalone treatise the author wrote on the legal ruling of vaginal moisture (Hukm al-Rutubah), which was published by Dar al-Watan Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a. After its first edition sold out within two months and a second edition of double the print run also sold out, al-Muharib paused reprinting to thoroughly revise, restructure, and expand the material in response to recurrent inquiries and feedback from students of knowledge Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a.

The author noted that she had researched the question of non-menstrual moisture for over twelve years, motivated by the widespread confusion and severe scruples experienced by many women regarding whether such secretions invalidate ritual ablution (wudu') or constitute ritual impurity (najasah) Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a+1. Before publishing, she presented her findings to prominent contemporary scholars; Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani had endorsed her position over a decade earlier, and Muhammad ibn Salih al-'Uthaymin reviewed the research and provided handwritten comments on it Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a. She also incorporated observations from his student 'Ali ibn Muhammad Nur Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a. The revised text was finalized on 29 Sha'ban 1425 AH in Riyadh, where al-Muharib served as an assistant professor at the College of Education Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a+1.

Content and Structure

The treatise examines four primary legal topics outlined at its opening Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a:

• Yellowish and brownish discharge (al-sufrah wa-l-kudrah): The legal status of such fluids during the time of menstruation and outside it Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a.
• Signs of attaining ritual purity: The definitive indicators marking the cessation of menses Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a.
• Vaginal moisture (al-rutubah): The legal ruling regarding normal physiological secretions outside menstrual periods, examining their purity and effect on ritual ablution Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a+1.
• Doubts and scruples (al-shakk wa-l-waswasah): Distinguishing between regular menstrual blood (hayd) and irregular bleeding (istihadah), and overcoming excessive investigation and doubts regarding ritual purity Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a+1.

In an introductory chapter, the author surveys the various bodily fluids that exit from women, classifying them according to their anatomical origin and legal rulings, including urine, prostatic fluid (madhy), semen (many), post-urination fluid (wady), menstrual blood, and post-natal bleeding (nifas) Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a+1. In her conclusion, al-Muharib urges qualified female scholars to specialize in jurisprudence concerning women, noting that women are often better positioned to understand and address the intimate details of these matters Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a.

Translations

The book was translated into English by Dr. 'Abd al-Rahman al-Jumhur, and the English edition was printed, published, and distributed by the Sulaiman Al Rajhi Foundation Masa'il Khassa bil-Mar'a.