Fatwa ID: 08716

 

 

Answered by: Maulana Sakib Shadman

 

Question:

 

I need help with determining time of my period. For a couple years after I started my period, I did not pray, and I was not practicing properly. When I started to pray, I did not know how to properly calculate the start of my period because I was not keeping track of them before. Also, I can’t ever remember going 15 days without at least yellow discharge (I have yellow discharge regularly), so no 15 days of purity as far as I remember. After that I spent a couple years miscalculating my period cycle because I did not know yellow discharge was considered haydh. So here is my situation:

 

• I do not remember when I started my period since I did not track it for the first few years.
• I do not ever remember having 15 days straight of ‘purity’. I have regular (almost daily) yellow discharge, with occasional red spotting.
• My blood flow is heavy and it is very obvious, and can last anywhere from 7-12 days

 

One Hanafi scholar told me that as I do not experience a complete period of a minimum of 15 days purity, I should calculate every 10 days as haydh and every 20 days as tuhr, starting from when I experienced my first haydh. However, that I do not Remember *AT ALL when my period initially started, could have been any day of the week, I really do not know.

 

In this situation, how do I know calculate my period cycle, or where I am right now in my cycle, as I do not have one single clear period of purity?

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

 

Answer:

 

First and foremost, it is Wajib for every Muslim woman to track her Hayd (menstruation), and to note down when it started, how many days it lasts every month, etc.

 

In your situation, you are known as a Al-Muhayyirah Al-Mudillah (المُحَيِّرة المُضلَّة). This is a woman who has completely lost track of when her periods started and how long they continue each month. The Mutahayrah is known as such because she confuses the Faqih (scholar) due to her puzzling predicament. There are two scenarios here.

 

• If you have a predominant opinion on which days your period starts every month, you should follow that estimation. Of example, you mentioned you are Mustahadah, meaning you have yellow discharge daily during your طُهْر/ purity. But then you also mentioned that your blood flow lasts for 7 to 12 days every month and that it is heavy.

 

So you may estimate that when your heavy flow starts, that is when your period also starts every month. And from now, you shall count the first 10 days of the heavy flow as Haydh and then for the next 20 days you will be pure and able to pray/ fast. After those 20 days are over, the cycle repeats and your Haydh will be for another 10 days, followed by 20 days of purity.

 

If there is a time when you are doubting whether your Haydh has started or not, you should make Wudhu for each new Salat time and then pray your Salat as usual. And if there is a time in which you doubt whether your Haydh has ended or not, you should make Ghusl for each Salat time, then pray that Salat. And when the next Waqt of Salat arrives, you should make another Ghusl, repeat the Salat of the previous Waqt, and then pray the Salat of the current Waqt.

 

You will fast all of Ramadan and then make Qadha of 10 fasts outside Ramadan during the period of time in which you are sure that you are pure.

 

• If you are really completely lost as to when your Haydh starts and you do not have a predominant opinion in this regard, then you will henceforth be deemed to be neither in the state of purity nor Haydh at any point in time. You will take the most precautious stance in this regard.

 

All throughout each month, you will have to make Ghusl at the beginning of each Waqt (Salat time) and pray each Salat with a fresh Ghusl. You will only pray Fardh, Sunnah Muakkadah, and Witr prayers. You will recite only the minimum amount of Qira’ah (I.e. Fatihah and a short Surah). You will never be allowed to recite Quran nor do any other Nafl activities which require you to be in the state of purity, such as optional Tawaf of the blessed Kabah, in case you are actually in Haydh at any given time. You will also not be allowed to have intercourse with your husband at any point in time.

 

 

You will fast all of Ramadan and then make Qadha of 15 fasts thereafter. Hence you will pray Salat and perform other obligatory acts such as fasting and Tawaf Ziyarah as a precaution in case you are pure; however all other activities requiring purity will be impermissible in case you are in the state of Haydh. You can always make Adhkaar and Dua since you do not need to be pure to perform these acts.

 

 

This is a difficult opinion to practice upon, so it is recommended that you somehow try to recall your عادة/ menstrual habit. Even if you are not absolutely sure, again you can practice upon your predominant approximation. If you are unable to make any estimation, you will have no option but to practice upon the second scenario.

 

 

References:

 

وَالْمُضَلَّةُ وَتُسَمَّى الضَّالَّةُ وَالْمُتَحَيِّرَةُ: مَنْ نَسِيَتْ عَادَتَهَا، ثُمَّ قَالَ فِي الْفَصْلِ الرَّابِعِ فِي الِاسْتِمْرَارِ: إذَا وَقَعَ فِي الْمُبْتَدَأَةِ فَحَيْضُهَا مِنْ أَوَّلِ الِاسْتِمْرَارِ عَشْرَةٌ وَطُهْرُهَا عِشْرُونَ،

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ص286 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – باب الحيض – المكتبة الشاملة

 

فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهَا رَأْيٌ وَهِيَ الْمُحَيَّرَةُ لَا يُحْكَمُ لَهَا بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ الْحَيْضِ وَالطُّهْرِ عَلَى التَّعْيِينِ، بَلْ تَأْخُذُ بِالْأَحْوَطِ فِي حَقِّ الْأَحْكَامِ فَتَجْتَنِبُ مَا يَجْتَنِبُهُ الْحَائِضُ مِنْ الْقِرَاءَةِ وَالْمَسِّ وَدُخُولِ الْمَسْجِدِ وَقُرْبَانِ الزَّوْجِ، وَتَغْتَسِلُ لِكُلِّ صَلَاةٍ فَتُصَلِّي بِهِ الْفَرْضَ وَالْوَتْرَ، وَتَقْرَأُ مَا تَجُوزُ بِهِ الصَّلَاةُ فَقَطْ، وَقِيلَ الْفَاتِحَةُ وَالسُّورَةُ لِأَنَّهُمَا وَاجِبَتَانِ، وَإِنْ حَجَّتْ تَطُوفُ طَوَافَ الزِّيَارَةِ لِأَنَّهُ رُكْنٌ ثُمَّ تُعِيدُهُ بَعْدَ عَشَرَةِ أَيَّامٍ وَتَطُوفُ لِلصَّدْرِ لِأَنَّهُ وَاجِبٌ وَتَصُومُ شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ، ثُمَّ تَقْضِي خَمْسَةً وَعِشْرِينَ يَوْمًا

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ص175 – كتاب فتح القدير للكمال بن الهمام ط الحلبي – باب الحيض والاستحاضة – المكتبة الشاملة

 

وأما إذا نسيت عادتها فهي المحيرة” بصيغة اسم الفاعل لأنها تحير المفتي وبصيغة إسم المفعول لأنها حيرت بسبب نسيانها وهي التي كان لها زمن معلوم في وقت معلوم وهي على ثلاثة أوجه إما أن تضل عدد أيامها فقط أو وقته فقط أو هما معا فالكلام عليها في ثلاثة فصول الأول وهو ما إذا نسيت عدد أيام عادتها وتعلم إن حيضها في كل شهر مرة فإنها تدع الصلاة ثلاثة أيام من أول الإستمرار لتيقنها.

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ص141 – كتاب حاشية الطحطاوي على مراقي الفلاح شرح نور الإيضاح – باب الحيض والنفاس والاستحاضة – المكتبة الشاملة

 

وحاصله أنها تتحرى، ومتى ترددت بين حيض ودخول فيه وطهر تتوضأ لكل صلاة، وإن بينهما والدخول فيه تغتسل لكل صلاة

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ص43 – كتاب الدر المختار شرح تنوير الأبصار وجامع البحار – باب الحيض – المكتبة الشاملة

 

وأمَّا في حقّ ما عدا العِدَّة، فلم يُقدِّرُوا لها الطُّهرَ بشيء، بل قالوا: تَجتَنِبُ ما تَجتنبُ الحائضُ من قراءةِ القرآن ومَسِّه ودخولِ المسجد وإتيانِ الزوج، وتَغتسِلُ لكلّ صلاة فتؤدِّي به الفرضَ والوتر (١) ، وتقرأُ فيهما قَدْرَ ما تجوزُ به الصلاة ولا تزيدُ، وقيل: تقرأُ الفاتحةَ والسورةَ، لأنهما واجبتانِ وهو الأصحُّ الأحوط. وإنْ حجَّتْ تَطوفُ للزيارة، لأنه ركنٌ ثم تُعيده بعدَ عشرةِ أيام، وتطوفُ للصَّدَرِ لأنه واجب، وتصومُ شهرَ رمضان لاحتمالِ أنها طاهرة، ثم تَقضي خمسةً وعشرين يوماً، لاحتمالِ أنها حاضَتْ فيه خمسَةَ عشرَ يوماً، عشرةٌ في أوَّله وخمسةٌ في آخره أو بالعكس، واحتمالِ أنها حاضت في القضاء عشَرَة.

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ص136 – كتاب فتح باب العناية بشرح النقاية – المحيرة – المكتبة الشاملة

 

(فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ ظَنُّهَا عَلَى مَوْضِعِ حَيْضِهَا وَعَدَدِهِ عَمِلَتْ بِهِ، وَإِلَّا فَعَلَيْهَا الأَخْذُ بِالأَحْوَطِ فِي الأَحْكَامِ) فَمَا غَلَبَ عَلَى ظَنِّهَا أَنَّهُ حَيْضُهَا أَوْ طُهْرُهَا عَمِلَتْ بِهِ، وَإِنْ تَرَدَّدَتْ تُصَلِّي وَتَصُومُ احْتِيَاطاً.

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ص229 – كتاب ذخر المتأهلين والنساء للإمام البركوي – أحكام الإضلال العام – المكتبة الشاملة

 

https://daruliftaa.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/RULINGS-ON-HAIDH.pdf

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Maulana Sakib Shadman

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham