It is narrated from Marjanah, who is the mother of Alqamah and the freed slave of Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), that women used to send cotton pads in boxes to Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) to show her, and there would be a yellowish tinge on the cotton from menstrual blood. They would ask whether they should pray or not. Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) would say: Do not be hasty in the matter of prayer, until you see the white discharge. By this she meant: become pure from menstruation.

It is narrated from Hazrat Umm Kulthum, who is the daughter of Sayyiduna Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him), that she received news that women would send for a lamp to be sold in the middle of the night, and they would see whether they had become pure from menstruation. Umm Kulthum considered this to be a fault and used to say that the women of the Companions did not do this.

Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: If a menstruating woman becomes pure but does not find water, should she perform tayammum? He said: Yes! She should perform tayammum, because her example is like that of a person in a state of janabah. When a person in janabah does not find water, he also performs tayammum.