Fatwa ID: 09478
Answered by Mufti Yusuf Badshah
Question:
If a woman is experiencing consistent spotting before her period (due to perimenopause), sometimes up to 5 days before her period actually begins. Should she consider the spotting as part of her period? For example 15 days of purity have passed, and then on day 1, she has very light spotting once, then nothing on days 2/3, but then more light spotting on day 4/5. Then, on day 5/6, she starts to bleed normally and has a regular period for the next 5 days. Sometimes, it runs into 6/7 days of bleeding. So, in total 10/12 days, including the spotting. But the first 5 or so days are almost no bleeding except for very light adhoc spotting. At what point should she consider that her menstruation has actually began and ended? JazakAllah khair.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Since the minimum period of purity between periods according to the Hanafi Madhab is 15 days, her period will begin once bleeding occurs after 15 days of purity [1] whether this blood is spotting or flowing [2], provided this bleeding occurs over at least three days [3]. Any bleeding which occurs for less than three days will be deemed Istihadah [4].
Since the maximum period of bleeding according to the Hanafi Madhab is 10 days, her period will end either when she stops bleeding or after the 10th day [5]. Any bleeding which occurs after the 10th day has passed will be deemed Istihadah [6]. The exception to this is if she has a habit of bleeding for longer than 10 days, in which case any bleeding within her normal habit will be deemed part of her period and any bleeding which exceeds this will be deemed Istihadah [7].
Thus, in the example above, day 1 will be deemed Istihadah, the day she first experiences spotting on day 4/5 will be when her period begins, and her period will end once her bleeding stops after 5, 6 or 7 days.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Mufti Yusuf Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
Raddul Muhtar, vol. 1, pg. 285, Darul Fikr:
وَأَقَلُّ الطُّهْرِ) بَيْنَ الْحَيْضَتَيْنِ أَوْ النِّفَاسِ وَالْحَيْضِ (خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا) وَلَيَالِيهَا إجْمَاعًا
[2]
Raddul Muhtar, vol. 1, pg. 284, Darul Fikr:
ثُمَّ اعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا يُشْتَرَطُ اسْتِمْرَارُ الدَّمِ فِيهَا بِحَيْثُ لَا يَنْقَطِعُ سَاعَةً؛ لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ لَا يَكُونُ إلَّا نَادِرًا بَلْ انْقِطَاعُهُ سَاعَةً أَوْ سَاعَتَيْنِ فَصَاعِدًا غَيْرُ مُبْطِلٍ
[3]
Raddul Muhtar, vol. 1, pg. 283, Darul Fikr:
وَ (أَقَلُّهُ ثَلَاثَةٌ بِلَيَالِيِهَا) الثَّلَاثِ
[4]
Raddul Muhtar, vol. 1, pg. 284-285, Darul Fikr:
قَوْلُهُ وَالنَّاقِصُ إلَخْ) أَيْ وَلَوْ بِيَسِيرٍ. قَالَ الْقُهُسْتَانِيُّ: فَلَوْ رَأَتْ الْمُبْتَدَأَةُ الدَّمَ حِينَ طَلَعَ نِصْفُ قُرْصِ الشَّمْسِ وَانْقَطَعَ فِي الْيَوْمِ الرَّابِعِ حِينَ طَلَعَ رُبُعُهُ كَانَ اسْتِحَاضَةً إلَى أَنْ يَطْلُعَ نِصْفُهُ، فَحِينَئِذٍ يَكُونُ حَيْضًا
[5]
Raddul Muhtar, vol. 1, pg. 283, Darul Fikr:
وَأَكْثَرُهُ عَشْرَةٌ) بِعَشْرِ لَيَالٍ، كَذَا رَوَاهُ
[6]
Raddul Muhtar, vol. 1, pg. 285, Darul Fikr:
وَالزَّائِدُ) عَلَى أَكْثَرِهِ أَوْ أَكْثَرِ النِّفَاسِ أَوْ عَلَى الْعَادَةِ وَجَاوَزَ أَكْثَرَهُمَا. (وَمَا تَرَاهُ) صَغِيرَةٌ دُونَ تِسْعٍ عَلَى الْمُعْتَمَدِ وَآيِسَةٌ عَلَى ظَاهِرِ الْمَذْهَبِ (حَامِلٌ) وَلَوْ قَبْلَ خُرُوجِ أَكْثَرِ الْوَلَدِ (اسْتِحَاضَةٌ)
[7]
Raddul Muhtar, vol. 1, pg. 1, Darul Fikr:
قَوْلُهُ وَالزَّائِدُ عَلَى أَكْثَرِهِ) أَيْ فِي حَقِّ الْمُبْتَدَأَةِ، أَمَّا الْمُعْتَادَةُ فَمَا زَادَ عَلَى عَادَتِهَا وَيُجَاوِزُ الْعَشَرَةَ فِي الْحَيْضِ وَالْأَرْبَعِينَ فِي النِّفَاسِ يَكُونُ اسْتِحَاضَةً كَمَا أَشَارَ إلَيْهِ بِقَوْلِهِ أَوْ عَلَى الْعَادَةِ إلَخْ. أَمَّا إذَا لَمْ يَتَجَاوَزْ الْأَكْثَرَ فِيهِمَا، فَهُوَ انْتِقَالٌ لِلْعَادَةِ فِيهِمَا، فَيَكُونُ حَيْضًا وَنِفَاسًا رَحْمَتِيٌّ