> TL;DR: Yellow/brown discharge within your valid menses days counts as menstruation until you see the clear sign of purity (the “white discharge” or complete dryness), so you should not pray yet if on day 6 you only have yellow discharge and no sign of purity [RIS1], [HAD2], [FAT1]. When you see the white discharge (tuhr) or full dryness, take a ritual bath (ghusl) and resume prayer; if yellow returns within 10 days, it is still menses and you reset after it ends [HAD1], [FAT4], [FAT5]. ## The ruling, clearly stated - Haidh (menstruation) — menstrual bleeding that legally suspends prayer and fasting — includes red, brown, and yellow discharges during the menses days “until she sees proper whiteness” (the known sign of purity) [RIS1]. - The Companion Umm ‘Atiyyah reported that after purity, brown and yellow discharges carried no significance (i.e., were not counted as menses), which implies that before purity such colors are treated as menses [HAD2]. - The Prophet instructed a woman with irregular bleeding to abstain only for the days of her normal menses, then take a ritual bath (ghusl) and pray [HAD1]; the same instruction is reported for Umm Habibah: “Wait as long as your menstrual period normally stops you, then take a ritual bath” [HAD6]. - In the Hanafi juristic description, the maximum length of menses is ten days (minimum three, average five). Anything seen within this window — including yellow discharge — is counted as menses until the sign of purity appears [RIS2]. Fatwas explicitly confirm: yellow discharge seen within the menses window is considered haidh [FAT1], [FAT5]. - Therefore, if on day 6 you only have yellow discharge and have not seen the white discharge or complete dryness, you are still in haidh and should not pray yet [RIS1], [FAT1]. When tuhr (purity) appears, take ghusl and resume prayer [HAD1], [HAD6]. ### Why this is wise and what it safeguards This rule gives you a clear, objective marker — the “white discharge” (al-qussah al-bayda) or complete dryness — so you do not have to guess while stressed or fatigued near the end of your cycle [RIS1], [FAT3]. The Qur’anic guidance sets the boundary “do not approach them until they are pure; when they have cleansed themselves then come to them” (2:222), showing that purity is a real, noticeable state after the cessation of menses [TAF3], [TAF8]. Tafsir also reminds that being kept from the prayer mat during menses is a decree, not a blame; remembrance (dhikr) continues and is beloved by God, who “loves those who purify themselves” [TAF1], [TAF3]. This protects spiritual clarity, avoids obsessive uncertainty, and honors the body’s natural rhythms with a compassionate, structured rule [TAF1]. ## Practical application for your exact scenario Key terms: - Ghusl (full ritual bath) — washing the whole body with intention to lift major ritual impurity [HAD6]. - Wudu (ablution) — washing specific limbs to lift minor ritual impurity [FAT6]. - Istihādah (non-menstrual bleeding) — abnormal bleeding treated like a chronic excuse that does not stop prayer [HAD1]. - Tuhr (purity) — the end of menses indicated by white discharge or complete dryness [RIS1], [FAT3]. Based on your description (habit = 7 days; day 6 = yellow all day): 1) If there is only yellow discharge on day 6 and no white discharge/dryness: remain in haidh; do not pray yet [RIS1], [FAT1], [HAD2]. 2) How to check for purity: Use a small piece of cotton (kursuf) at the labial lips to test; seeing the white/clear discharge indicates purity (colors can oxidize on fabric) [FAT7]. 3) If you clearly see the white discharge (or full dryness) before day 7: take ghusl and pray from then onward [HAD6], [FAT3]. 4) If after ghusl a yellow stain returns within ten days from the start of the period: treat it as menses; repeat ghusl when it ends; your menses for that month extends accordingly [FAT4], [FAT5]. 5) If bleeding/discharge continues past ten days: treat only your habitual days (e.g., 7) as menses; the rest is istihādah — you pray, performing wudu per prayer time if you are an excused person (ma‘dhūrah) due to continuous discharge [HAD1], [RIS3], [FAT6]. 6) If you are ever unsure on a given day: fall back on your known habit for haidh, then resume ghusl and prayer afterward, as the Prophet directed women with irregular bleeding to follow their usual days, then bathe and pray [HAD1], [HAD6]. Examples for modern schedules: - If by late day 6 you still see yellow (no white), do not rush ghusl for Maghrib/Isha; re-check near Fajr with a kursuf. If white appears before Fajr, take ghusl and pray Fajr on time [FAT7], [HAD6]. - If day 7 begins with yellow and turns white by midday, take ghusl then and resume Dhuhr onward. If yellow returns that evening within ten days, treat it as menses and re-assess after it stops [FAT4], [FAT5]. - If your cycle some months shortens to 6 days and you see white then, you may ghusl and pray at once; brown/yellow seen after confirmed purity is not counted as menses [HAD2], [FAT3]. Psychological, social, and ethical benefits - Clear signs (white discharge/dryness) reduce anxiety and repetitive checking, giving certainty and routine for work, family, and worship [RIS1], [FAT3]. - Honoring the body’s need for rest during menses while maintaining dhikr and du‘ā preserves spiritual momentum without guilt [TAF1]. - The stepwise method (habit → sign of purity → ghusl) prevents burnout, protects time management, and maintains dignity in worship commitments [HAD1], [HAD6], [TAF3]. ### Divergent perspectives (where relevant) - After purity is established: yellow/brown have “no significance,” from the practice of the Companions [HAD2]. Many jurists advise waiting for the white discharge itself (“do not be hasty until you see the white discharge”) as transmitted via ‘Aishah’s counsel, and contemporary fatwas use this as a benchmark [FAT3]. - On marital relations, some detailed Hanafi nuances differentiate between cessation at the maximum versus at the habitual days; however, for prayer, ghusl is required upon tuhr and then prayer resumes immediately [TAF6]. Your question concerns prayer, and the operative rule remains: pray as soon as tuhr is established and ghusl is performed [HAD6], [TAF3]. Bottom line for you today: If day 6 has only yellow discharge and you have not seen the white discharge or full dryness, wait and do not pray yet; when tuhr appears, take ghusl and resume prayer. If yellow returns within ten days, treat it as haidh and re-time your ghusl accordingly [RIS1], [HAD2], [FAT1], [FAT4], [FAT5]. If uncertainty persists beyond these rules, consult a qualified local scholar to review your personal pattern in detail.