26 April, 2024

17 Shawwal, 1445 H

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"Silence saves you from regret"

- Imam Ali (as) -

Learning
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Core Curriculum
Section 1 - God, Religion and Islam: An Introduction

  • Topic 1.1 - God, Allah and Religion

  • Topic 1.2 - What is “Religion” and What’s the Point of it Anyways?

  • Topic 1.3 - Introduction to Islam

  • Topic 1.4 - A Brief Introduction to the Prophet Muhammad (s), the Prophet of Islam

Section 2 - Foundations of Islam - Theology

  • Topic 2.1 - Satan, Jinns and Angels: Their Influence in the World

  • Topic 2.2 - The Islamic Concept of the Nafs: Battling the Human Ego

  • Topic 2.3 - The Sharīʿa: Purpose and Practice

  • Topic 2.4 - Nubuwwa: The Purpose of Prophethood in Islam

  • Topic 2.5 - Tawhīd: The Unity and Oneness of God in Islam

  • Topic 2.6 - The Usūl al-Dīn: The Fundamental Beliefs of Islam

  • Topic 2.7 - Adala: Divine Justice in Islam

  • Topic 2.8 - Entering Islam: The Shahada

  • Topic 2.9 - Maʿād: The Day of Judgment in Islam

  • Topic 2.10 - Imāmah or divinely guided leadership in Islam after the Prophet Muhammad.

Section 3 - Foundations of Islam - Obligatory Acts

  • Topic 3.1 - Accepting Islam: Putting Faith into Action

  • Topic 3.2 - The Furūʿ al-Dīn: The Fundamental Practices of Islam

  • Topic 3.3 - Salāt: Obligatory Ritual Prayers in Islam

  • Topic 3.4 - Fasting in Islam, its Purpose, Dos and Don’ts

  • Topic 3.5 - The Hajj Pilgrimage

  • Topic 3.6 - The Purpose of Zakat and Khums in Islamic Law

  • Topic 3.7 - Jihād in Islamic Law and Spirituality

  • Topic 3.8 - Commanding the Good and Forbidding Evil in Islam

  • Topic 3.9 - Tawalla and Tabarra, its Basics and Purpose

  • Topic 3.10 - The Five Categories of Islamic Law

  • Topic 3.11 - Niyya: Religious Intention as the Foundation of Islamic Practice

  • Topic 3.12 - Ritual Purity in Islamic Law: Understanding Tahāra and Najāsa

  • Topic 3.13 - Other Obligatory and Forbidden Acts in Islam

Section 4 - Prophethood in Islam

  • Topic 4.1 - A Brief Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (s): The Prophet’s Childhood (PART I of III)

  • Topic 4.2 - Bio: The Prophet Muhammad as a Prophet of God (PART II of III)

  • Topic 4.3 - A Brief Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (s): The Prophet’s Character (PART III of III)

  • Topic 4.4 - The Prophet Muhammad (s) as Messenger and Teacher

  • Topic 4.5 - The Prophet and his Relationships

  • Topic 4.6 - The Prophet’s Sunnah and Hadith

  • Topic 4.7 - Ghadīr and Arafah: The Two Last Sermons of the Prophet

  • Topic 4.8 - Jesus and Mary in Islam

Section 5 - The Qur'an and Hadith

  • Topic 5.1 - Islam and Other Religions

  • Topic 5.2 - What is the Qur’an? A Short Introduction to Islam’s Holy Book

  • Topic 5.3 - The Structure of the Holy Qur’an

  • Topic 5.4 - The Quran and Islamic law

  • Topic 5.5 - The Qur’an, Allah and Humankind

  • Topic 5.6 - Hadith and Sunnah, difference and variations

  • Topic 5.7 - The Reliability of Hadiths

  • Topic 5.8 - A Reflection on Verses of the Holy Qur’an

  • Topic 5.9 - Hadith al-Thaqalayn

  • Topic 5.10 - Imam Ali (as) and Nahj al-Balagha.

  • Topic 5.11 - Taqlid and Tawḍih Al Masail Genre of Literature

Section 6 - Measuring Good and Bad in Islam

  • Topic 6.1 - Guidance According to Islam

  • Topic 6.2 - Life and Death in Islam

  • Topic 6.3 - Heaven and Hell in Islam

  • Topic 6.4 - The Effects of Our Actions in this World

  • Topic 6.5 - The Gray Areas of Islamic Law and Morality

  • Topic 6.6 - Benefits of Islamic Law in this World

  • Topic 6.7 - Good and Bad Deeds: The Spiritual Consequences of our Choices

  • Topic 6.8 - The Effect of Culture and Environment in Shaping our Religious Choices

  • Topic 6.9 - Fate and the Consequences of our Choices in Islam

  • Topic 6.10 - Trivializing the Harām

  • Topic 6.11 - Sinning Against Others and their Delayed Punishment

  • Topic 6.12 - The Three Kinds of Rights in Islam

  • Topic 6.13 - Major Sins in Islam

  • Topic 6.14 - Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins in Islam

  • Topic 6.15 - Kufr in Islam

  • Topic 6.16 - Why Allah Allows People to Sin

Section 7 - The Legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (s) and his Ahl al-Bayt (as)

  • Topic 7.1 - Islam and Knowledge: the Importance of Islamic Education

  • Topic 7.2 - The Ahl al-Kisa

  • Topic 7.3 - Imamah in the Qur’an

  • Topic 7.4 - Fatima al-Zahrah (as)

  • Topic 7.5 - A Brief Look at the Lives of the Imams (Imam al-Hasan until Imam Muhammad al-Baqir)

  • Topic 7.6 - A Brief Look at the Lives of the Imams (Imam Jafar al-Sadiq until Imam Hasan al-Askari)

  • Topic 7.7 - A Brief Look at the Life and Importance of Imam al-Mahdi (aj)

  • Topic 7.8 - Salawat and Atonement in Islam

  • Topic 7.9 - The Companions (Sahaba) of the Prophet According to the Qur’an

  • Topic 7.10 - Clerical Hierarchies in Muslim Communities

  • Topic 7.11 - Mosques in Islam

  • Topic 7.12 - The Philosophy of Karbala and Majalis

  • Topic 7.13 - A Brief Biography of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as)

  • Topic 7.14 - The Battle of Karbala: A Brief History

Section 8 - Islamic Relationships, Sects and Conflicts

  • Topic 8.1 - Islam and Rights

  • Topic 8.2 - Islam and Religious Conflicts

  • Topic 8.3 - Major Sects of Islam

  • Topic 8.4 - Sunnism and Shi’ism, beginnings and historical developments.

  • Topic 8.5 - Misconceptions about Shi’ism

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Special Topics
Section 9 - Independent Topics

  • Topic 9.1 - Muslim Converts – Welcome to Islam!

  • Topic 9.2 - Basic Dos and Don’ts of Being a Muslim

  • Topic 9.3 - Halal Food and Zabiha

  • Topic 9.4 - Modesty in Islam

  • Topic 9.5 - Family, Parents and Marriage in Islam

  • Topic 9.6 - Marriage in Islam

  • Topic 9.7 - Islam and Sex

  • Topic 9.8 - Women’s Menstruation in Islam

  • Topic 9.9 - Music, Alcohol, Drugs and Pork in Islam

  • Topic 9.10 - Islam and Science

  • Topic 9.11 - A Reading List of Islamic Knowledge

  • Topic 9.12 - Islam and Sufism

  • Topic 9.13 - Ritual Prayers and Supplications in Islam

  • Topic 9.14 - Death & Burial Rituals in Islam

  • Topic 9.15 - The Battle of Armageddon: An Islamic View

  • Topic 9.16 - The Muslim Calendar

  • Topic 9.17 - Muslims and non-Muslims in the Shariah

  • Topic 9.18 - A Timeline of Major Events in Islamic History

  • Topic 9.19 - Introducing the Qur’an: Why it is the way it is

  • Topic 9.20 - The School of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq

  • Topic 9.21 - Major Fields in Islamic Studies

  • Topic 9.22 - The Caliphate in Sunni and Shia Islam

  • Topic 9.23 - The Spread of Islam: After the Prophet until the Ottoman Empire

  • Topic 9.24 - Islam, Racism and Anti-Semitism

Section 10 - Islam, Religion, and Modern Controversies

  • Topic 10.1 - Modern Fallacies about God: where Theists and Atheists Agree

  • Topic 10.2 - Tawhīd: The Muslim God according to the Prophet Muhammad and the Ahl al-Bayt (as)

  • Topic 10.3 - God’s Existence: The Argument From Being (Wujūd)

  • Topic 10.4 - God’s Existence: The Kalam Cosmological Argument

  • Topic 10.5 - God’s Existence: The Argument From Design

  • Topic 10.6 - The Problem of Evil, Suffering and Pain

  • Topic 10.7 - Why did God Create Us? The Purpose of our Creation

  • Topic 10.8 - Why Humans Need Religion according to Islam

  • Topic 10.9 - Jahl and Spiritual Ignorance in Islam

  • Topic 10.10 - Faith in Islam: Belief without Evidence?

  • Topic 10.11 - Do Non-Muslims Go to Hell?

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Women’s Menstruation in Islam

Abstract

Menstruation in Islam is a legal and not necessarily biological category. It comes with its dos and don’ts just like men’s ritual impurity.

INTRODUCTION 

 

Bismillāhir Rahmānir Rahīm, As-salāmu ʿAlaykum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh. Peace be upon you brothers and sisters. 

 

Welcome back to the Muslim Converts Channel! Islamic law is an all-encompassing way of life. It covers our relationship with God and our relationship with humans. It deals with public matters as well as the most intimate and private realm of our lives. 

 

Perhaps one of the greatest shockers for recent converts to Islam are private issues revolving around hygiene and ritual purity. Without proper ritual purity, most ritual actions cannot be performed. These include, among other things, fasting and praying.  

 

It is therefore important to consider the basic points of ritual purity in Islam. As we’ve covered some of this previously, we thought it important to give a special look at issues concerning women’s ritual purity in Islamic law. As this subject is very large, we’ve decided to stick to the most common issue that women have to deal with in Islam when it comes to ritual purity: and that is, menstruation. 

 

BODY OF TEXT 

 

Menstruation  

 

Menstruation, according to Islamic law, leads to ritual impurity. This means that one cannot pray, fast or touch the Arabic letters of the Qur’an. Women are not being singled out here, as men also become ritually impure through other means that are particular to them.  

 

From a Sharia point of view, there are different types of blood. These include the loss of virginity, injuries to the vaginal area or post-natal bleeding. Menstruation in Islam has its own rulings which are different than other categories. Menstruation in Islam is known as hayd (pronounced hayz in Persian and Urdu). 

 

The most popular opinion in Islamic law states that women are generally considered pubescent at the completion of the age of 9 in lunar years. Menstruation in Islamic law has three signs: 

 

  1.  warmth of the blood 
  2.  the blood is dark red or black in color 
  3.  there is pressure or slight burning in the discharge 

 

If these three signs are found in a female at the age of 9 lunar years or more, then she will be considered to be in a state of hayd. 

 

If a girl sees blood before the 9 lunar years, then that blood may not be considered menstruation from a legal point of view even if the three signs are there. Remember that menstruation in Islam is seen from a legal and not necessarily a biological perspective! 

 

Similarly, from a legal perspective,  menopause for women starts at the age of 50. If women are to see blood at this age, then again, from a legal perspective, it will not be considered hayd. If, however, a woman of the age of 50 sees the three signs, then as a matter of precaution, she should observe the rulings of hayd until the age of 60. So as you can see, menopause in Islam is also a legal category. 

 

If she keeps seeing these signs at 60, then she does not need to observe the rulings of hayd anymore. This kind of bleeding is considered istihada, that is, irregular bleeding. In case of istihada, unlike hayd, a woman must still pray. 

 

There are a list of things that are forbidden for women when they are menstruating. We already mentioned some, but here we will go into more detail. 

 

  1. Sexual intercourse is forbidden when women are menstruating.  The Qur’an says: “And they ask you about menstruation. Say, "It is a harm, so keep away from wives during menstruation. And do not approach them until they are pure. And when they have purified themselves, then come to them from where Allah has ordained for you. Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves." (Chapter 2, verse 222 of the Holy Qur’an) 

 

Other forms of sexual activity that does not involve intercourse or playing with the body between the navel and the knees is fine.  

 

Couples may resume intercourse after the menstruation ends. There is a difference in opinion among Muslim scholars whether ghusl is needed before intercourse can take place once the menstruation ends, so be sure to check with your Marja. 

 

  1. Touching the script of the Qur’an as well as the names and attributes of God, the names of prophets, Imams and Fatima al-Zahra (as). 
  2. Staying or entering a Mosque. You can pass by if you are menstruating, but you need to enter and exit. The exception here is the Kaaba or the Sacred Mosque of Mecca, the Mosque of the Prophet in Madina as well as the Shrines of the Imams. In these places a menstruating woman cannot even enter. 
  3. A menstruating woman cannot fast during the month of Ramadan. However, once the month is over, she has to make up for them. Making up for missed ritual actions like fasting or prayer is called qada (qaza in Persian or Urdu). 
  4. Similarly, a menstruating woman cannot pray either. Unlike fasting however, there is no qada for missed prayers. If a woman begins her menstruation while she is praying, then she should stop her prayer as it is no longer valid. Once her menstruation ends, a woman must perform ghusl in order to resume prayers again. Without the ghusl, even when the period is ended, a woman cannot pray. If she misses her prayers during this time, she must make up for them.  
  5. Although it is permissible for women to recite the Qur’an, it is better that women disdain from it from a Sharia perspective. 
  6. Menstruating women are not allowed to recite verses where prostration is obligatory, namely verse 15 of Chapter 32, 37 of Chapter 41, 62 of 53, and verse 19 of Chapter 96. In fact, it is best to avoid reciting these chapters altogether. 

 

Before we leave, it’s important to make a point here. Some people view these rulings as misogynistic, meaning that they are hateful of women. They feel that these rulings treat them as impure or dirty beings. This is not true.  

 

Remember that there is a difference between dirtiness and ritual impurity. Ritual impurity just means that you cannot perform a ritual act, that’s it. It doesn’t mean a person is bad or dirty. There are no verses or reliable hadiths that even remotely suggest this. 

 

And remember that ritual impurity laws are not just exclusive to women. Men also have their own exclusive laws. If men release semen, then like women, they cannot fast, pray, touch the Qur’an or stay in a Mosque. Almost all the rulings of hayd apply to men in this case.  

 

Until Next Time, Thank you for watching. As-salāmu ʿAlaykum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh

Qada

Making up for missed prayers or fasting

Istihada

Irregular bleeding, as in irregular bleeding during menopause

Had

Menstruation

 

Q1

Isn’t it unfair that women are considered ritually impure when they are menstruating? What about the men?

Men also have biological events that make them ritually impure, such as ejaculation. The prohibitions that apply to menstruating women also apply to men who have ejaculated. 

Q2

Can women pray or fast when they are menstruating?

No

Q3

What is the difference between hayd and istihada?

Istihada is irregular bleeding, such as bleeding during menopause whereas hay is menstrual bleeding.

Q4

If a girl gets her period before 9 lunar years, will this be considered hayd?

No, hayd is a legal category in Islam. Strictly speaking, biology for most jurists is not necessarily a determining factor.

Q5

What are the signs of menstruation or hayd in Islam?

They are three:  

1) warmth of the blood 

2) the blood is dark red or black in color 

3) there is pressure or slight burning in the discharge

Hayd
hayz
menstruation in Islam
menstruation in Islamic law
istihada
menopause in Islam
ritual impurity

The Ritual Ablutions for Women by Muhammad Rizvi 

 

Women Issues Made Simple by Batul Arastu