Fatwa ID: 07024
Answered by: Maulana Osman Haye
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 and also because I can’t ever remember going 15 days without at least yellow discharge (I have yellow discharge regularly).
After that I spent a couple year miscalculating my period cycle because I did not know yellow discharge could be considered hadth, I thought it had to be brown or red. 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.
-My blood flow is heavy and it is very obvious, and can last anywhere from 7-12 day
In this situation, how do I know 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:
– Haid (menstruation) is of three days minimum and 10 days maximum.
– Tuhr (purity period) is of 15 days minimum with no maximum.
A woman who experiences bleeding for a duration, less or more than the stipulated period above, is considered to be in Istihada.
In your particular case if you can track how many days your last menses was then that will be regarded to be your habit. Any days of bleeding additional to your regular habit days up till 10 days will be considered menstruation. If the bleeding goes beyond 10 days, then the extra days after your habit will be considered istihadha and you will have to make qadha for the missed prayers.
If you do not have any regular habit, then any bleeding up to 10 days will be considered menstruation and the rest will be considered istihadha.
The minimum amount of tuhr (purity) is 15 days. Therefore, if after your blood comes to a stop and you experience blood again within 15 days, then that will be considered istihadha. Once the 15th day comes and you are still bleeding, then now that blood will be considered menstruation blood if bleeding is 3 days and up to 10 days.
The salah missed during menses is exempted, while a woman has to do qaza of salah missed in the state of non-menses bleeding.
وإذا زاد الدم على العادۃ فإن جاوز العشرۃ فالزائد کله استحاضة لأنه لو کان حیضا ما جاوز أکثرہ وإلا فحیض أي وإلا
لم یجاوز العشرۃ فالزائد على العادۃ حیض علی الأصح
(مجمع الانھر 1:8، بیروت)
الطُّهْرُ الْمُتَخَلِّلُ بَيْنَ الدَّمَيْنِ وَالدِّمَاءِ فِي مُدَّةِ الْحَيْضِ يَكُونُ حَيْضًا
فَإِنْ لَمْ يُجَاوِزْ الْعَشَرَةَ فَالطُّهْرُ وَالدَّمُ كِلَاهُمَا حَيْضٌ سَوَاءٌ كَانَتْ مُبْتَدَأَةً أَوْ مُعْتَادَةً وَإِنْ جَاوَزَ الْعَشَرَةَ فَفِي الْمُبْتَدَأَةِ حَيْضُهَا عَشَرَةُ
أَيَّامٍ وَفِي الْمُعْتَادَةِ مَعْرُوفَتُهَا فِي الْحَيْضِ حَيْضٌ وَالطُّهْرُ طُهْرٌ. هَكَذَا فِي السِّرَاجِ الْوَهَّاجِ
وَأَقَلُّ الطُّهْرِ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا وَلَا غَايَةَ لِأَكْثَرِهِ إلَّا إذَا اُحْتِيجَ إلَى نَصْبِ الْعَادَةِ كَمَا إذَا بَلَغَتْ
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Maulana Ousman Haye
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
