Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 1: Menstruation

In Arabic, the word for menstruation (haizh) literally means “running.”Here it refers to the discharge of blood during a woman’s state ofhealth, not from giving birth or breaking the hymen.

Most scholars say that its time begins at the age of nine. If blood isseen before that age, it is not menstrual blood, but is considered tobe putrid blood. As there is no evidence about when a woman stopsmenstruating, if an elderly lady finds blood flowing it is consideredmenstrual blood.

Volume 1, Page 69a: Requirements for blood to be considered menstrual

-1- Dark. Once, when Fatimah bint Abu Habash had a prolonged flow ofblood, the Prophet told her, “If it is the blood of menstruation, itwill be dark and recognizable. If it is that, then leave the prayer. Ifit is other than that, then make ablution and pray, for it is only dueto a vein.” This is related by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa’i, Ibn Hibban andad-Daraqutni, who said all of its narrators are trustworthy. Al-Hakimalso related it, and said that it meets Muslim’s standards.

-2- Red. It is the original color of blood.

-3- Yellow. It is a liquid, like pus.

-4- A muddy color. It is an intermediate color between black and white,like dirt.

Malik and Muhammad al-Hassan ( and al-Bukhari in mu’allaq form)recorded that women would send ‘Aishah small boxes with yellow-stainedcotton, and she would tell them, “Do not be in haste until you see thepure white cotton.” If the discharge is yellow or muddy during the daysof menstruation, it is to be considered as part of the menses. Duringother days, it is not regarded as such. Umm ‘Atiyyah said, “After wewere pure, we did not consider the yellow or muddy discharge to beanything.” This is related by Abu Dawud and al-Bukhari, but without thewords “…after we were pure.. .”

Volume 1, Page 70: There is no stated minimum or maximumlength of time for the menses

All statements dealing with this topic have no sound backing. If awoman has a customary length of time for her menses, she shouldaccording to it. Umm Salamah asked the Prophet about a woman with aprolonged flow of blood. He said, “She should look for the number ofdays and nights that she usually has her menses and the time of themonth during which it occurs. Then she should leave the prayer (duringthose days, and then afterwards) perform ghusl, tie something aroundher vagina and pray.” (Related by “the five,” except for at-Tirmizhi.)If she has no customary period to go by, then she can try todistinguish between the different types of blood. This practice isbased on the previously quoted hadith of Fatimah bint Abu Hubaish,which states that menstrual blood is distinguishable and well-known towomen.

All scholars agree that there is no minmum or maximum time limitbetween two menstrual periods. Some say that the latter period isfifteen days, while others say it is three days.

Volume 1, Page 70a: Post-Childbirth bleeding

Such bleeding occurs after the birth of a child, regardless if thechild survived the birth or not. This type of bleeding has no minimumduration, for it could stop right after the birth, or there could evenbe no blood. Therefore, her confinement would end and she would beobliged to fast, pray, and so on. The maximum duration is forty days.Said Umm Salamah, “During the lifetime of the Prophet, thepost-childbirth woman would be in confinement for forty days.” (Relatedby “the five,” except for an-Nasa’i.)

After recording the hadith, at-Tirmizhi states, “The knowledgeablecompanions, the following generation and those that came later agreethat a woman experiencing post-childbirth bleeding had to stop prayingfor forty days unless her blood stopped. If her bleeding stops beforethat time, she is to make ghusl and start praying. If she sees bloodafter forty days, most scholars say that she is not to stop praying.”

Volume 1, Page 71: Forbidden Acts for Women ExperiencingMenstruation and Post-Childbirth Bleeding

All acts forbidden for a person who has not yet cleansed himselffrom sex or a wet dream are prohibited to women in these twoconditions, as these are considered major impurities. But, there arealso two further prohibitions:

Volume 1, Page 71a: They cannot fast, menstruatingwomen

If women fast, their fasting will be considered null and void. Ifthey fast during the month of Ramadan, they will still have to makethose days of fasting up later on. Mu’azhah said, “I asked ‘Aishah,’Why must we make up the fasts missed due to our menstruation, and notthe prayers?’ She said, ‘That was what the Messenger of Allah told usto do. We were ordered to make up the fasts, and we were ordered not tomake up the prayers.” (Related by “the group.”)

Volume 1, Page 71b: She can not engage in sexualintercourse

Said Anas, “When a Jewish woman was menstruating, her husband wouldnot eat or sleep with her. The companions asked the Prophet, upon whombe peace, about that, and Allah revealed: “They question you concerningmenstruation. Say: ‘It is an illness, so let women alone at such timesand go not in unto them until they are cleaned. And when they havepurified themselves, then go in unto them as Allah has enjoined uponyou. Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him and loves those whohave a care for cleanliness” (al-Baqarah 222). The Messenger of Allahalso said, “Do everything except intercourse.” (Related by “the group,”except for al-Bukhari.)

In his comments on the subject, an-Nawawi states, “If a Muslim believesit is permissible to have intercourse with his menstruating wife, hebecomes an unbelieving apostate. If he does it, not thinking that it ispermissible, but out of forgetfulness or not knowing that it isforbidden or not knowing that his wife was menstruating, then there isno sin or expiation upon him. If he does it on purpose, knowing that itis forbidden, he has committed a grave sin and must repent. There aretwo opinions on this: the more correct one is that there is to beexpiation.” He further says, “All scholars say that one may touchanything above the navel or below the knees. Most scholars say that itis permissible to touch what is between the navel and the knees, butnot the vagina or anus.” An-Nawawi concludes that it is permitted buthated, as that is the strongest position from the evidence . Thisevidence is based upon the practice of the Prophet’s wives: when hewished to be with them during their period, they would put somethingover their vagina. (Related by Abu Dawud.) Al-Hafez observes, “Itschain is strong.” Masruq ibn al-Ajda’ asked ‘Aishah, “What is offlimits to me sexually during my wife’s menstruation?” She said,”Nothing, except the vagina.” (Related by alBukhari in his Tarikh.)

Volume 1, Page 72: Women with Prolonged Flows of Blood

Islam defines such an occurrence as the flowing of blood outside ofthe regular time. This usually happens in three specific cases. In thefirst case, the woman knows that her flow of menstrual blood is lastinglonger than usual. In such a case, she will act according to hercustomary period, and the remainder will be considered days ofprolonged blood flows. This is based on the hadith of Umm Salamah, inwhich she asked the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, about thiscondition. He said, “She should wait for the days and nights of hernormal period and figure them out of the month, and she should leavethe prayer during those days. (Afterwards) she should perform ghusl,tighten something around her vagina and then pray.” (Related by Malik,ash-Shafi and “the five,” except for at-Tirmizhi.)

Evaluating the report, an-Nawawi says, “Its chain meets the conditions(of al-Bukhari and Muslim).” Al-Khattabi holds, “That regulation is forthe woman who is experiencing prolonged blood flows. If the blood isflowing, the Prophet ordered her to leave the prayer during her regularperiod, and to perform ghusl after her customary time has passed. Then,she becomes just like any other purified person.”

In the second case, a woman does not know her period well enough todetermine if she is experiencing menstrual bleeding or a prolonged flowof blood. In that case, her menstruation is considered to be six orseven days, which is the most common among women.

Said Jamnah bint Jahsh, “I had a very strong prolonged flow of blood. Iwent to the Prophet to ask him about it. When I asked him if I had tostop praying and fasting, he said ‘Tie around a cloth, and it willstop.’ I said, ‘It is greater than that.’ He said, ‘Curb it.’ I said,’It flows greatly.’ He then said, ‘You may do one of two things: eitherone will suffice. Which one you are able to do you know best. This is astrike from Satan. Be on your period for six or seven days, which Allahknows, and then perform ghusl until you see that you are clean. Prayfor fourteen nights or thirteen nights and days and fast, and that willbe sufficient for you. Do that every month as the other women becomepure and menstruate. If you can, you may delay the noon prayer andhasten the afternoon prayer. Perform gh usl and pray the noon andafternoon prayers together. Then delay the sunset and hasten the nightprayers and pray them together. Perform ghusl for the morning prayerand pray it. This is how you may pray and fast if you have the abilityto do so…” And he said, “That is the more loved way to me.”

As to the authenticity of the hadith, it is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawudand at-Tirmizhi, who grades it as hassan sahih. He says, “I askedal-Bukhari about it, and he called it hassan.” Ahmad ibn Hanbal says itis hassan sahih.

Al-Khattabi observes, in a note to this hadith, that this is for thewoman who is a “beginner” and does not know her regular days ofmenstruation. The Prophet told her to act according to the customarysituation of women, and to consider herself as having her period onlyonce a month, like most women. His statement, ‘As women menstruate andas they become pure’ points to this fact. This is by analogy to theaffairs of women with respect to each other in menstruation, pregnancy,maturity and other affairs of theirs.”

In the third case, a woman has a regular period, but she is able todistinguish the blood. She should, therefore, behave according to thetype of blood she sees. Fatimah bint Abu Hubaish had a prolonged flowof blood, and the Prophet told her, “If it is menstrual blood, it isdark and recognizable. If you have that, abstain from the prayer. If itis other than that, make ablution and pray, for it is a vein.”

Women who fall into any of these categories must abide by the followingregulations:

Volume 1, Page 73: Ghusl, menstruating women

She does not have to perform ghusl for every prayer, except for theone time when her period or blood flow has ended.

Volume 1, Page 74: She must make ablution for everyprayer, menstruating women

Said the Prophet, “Make ablution for every prayer.” According toMalik, this is only preferred and not obligatory (unless she nullifiesher ablution, of course).

Volume 1, Page 74a: Keeping the blood in check,menstruating women

She is to wash her vagina before she makes ablution, and she shouldwear something which soaks up the blood. It is preferred for her to dowhat she can to keep the blood in check.

Volume 1, Page 74b: Ablution, menstruating women

She should not make ablution before the prayer’s time begins.

Volume 1, Page 74c: Sex, menstruating women

She may have intercourse with her husband even while the blood isflowing, according to most scholars, because there is no evidence tothe contrary. Said Ibn ‘Abbas, “If she can pray, her husband can haveintercourse with her.” Al-Bukhari says that if she is pure enough forprayer, she certainly must be pure enough for intercourse. Abu Dawudand al-Baihaqi related that ‘Akramah bint Hamnah had a prolonged flowof blood and that her husband had intercourse with her. An-Nawawi holdsits chain to be hassan.

Volume 1, Page 74d: What she can do, menstruating women

She is to be considered a pure person, and she may pray, fast,remain in the mosque, recite the Qur’an, touch a copy of the Qur’an,and so on.