skills/sistani-guidance/references/books/women/pages-013-024.md

# Women's Religious Rules in Simple Language

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## PDF PAGE 13

```text
13 | Women’s Religious Rules in Simple Language
Mother: Women may experience menstrual blood up to the age of sixty
lunar years (menopause),1 and any blood that discharges after that is
not menstrual blood but Istiḥāḍa.2
Minimum and Maximum Duration of Menstrual Blood
Faṭimah: How many days should the blood continue to discharge in
order for it to be considered menstrual (Ḥayḍ) blood?
Mother: It must discharge for at least three consecutive days.3
Faṭimah: For example, if a woman sees blood for two and a half days,
then it completely stops for three or four hours, and then she sees blood
again for two more days, what is the ruling?
Mother: Even though this woman saw blood for a total of five days,
because she did not experience continuous bleeding for three
consecutive days, all the blood is considered Istiḥāḍah (irregular non-
menstrual bleeding).
Faṭimah: What if the duration of menstrual blood extends?
Mother: The maximum duration of menstruation is ten days. If the
bleeding extends beyond ten days, it is no longer considered
menstruation but Istiḥāḍah.
1 This is approximately equivalent to fifty-eight years and eighty days in the
solar calendar. It is important to note that the age of menopause, which nullifies
the waiting period observed after divorce, is different from the menopause
related to menstruation. For further details, you can refer to Islamic Laws
(Tawḍīḥ al-Masāʾil).
2 Istiḥāḍa means irregular and abnormal vaginal bleeding outside the time of
the monthly period.
3 At the start of menstruation, the blood must flow out, but it is not necessary
for blood to be present all three days. If the blood remains internally, it is
sufficient. If there is a brief pause in bleeding during the three days, which is
considered normal among women (for example, if the bleeding stops for 15
minutes or half an hour and then resumes), it is still considered menstruation.
```

## PDF PAGE 14

```text
Faṭimah: So, I come to understand that the duration of menstruation is
a minimum of three days and a maximum of ten days.
Mother: Yes, that's correct.
Menstruation During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Faṭimah: Can a pregnant or breastfeeding woman experience
menstruation?
Mother: Yes, if she sees blood for three consecutive days or more, it is
considered menstruation.
Calculating the Days of Menstruation
Faṭimah: What is meant by three days or ten days in the rulings of
menstruation in terms of hours?
Mother: It depends on the time of day or night when the menstruation
starts. If menstruation begins during the day (i.e., between the Adhān
for Fajr prayer and sunset), three days means 72 hours, and ten days
means 240 hours.
However, if menstruation begins at night (i.e., after sunset and before
the Fajr prayer), the three days will be completed at sunset on the third
day, and the ten days will be completed at sunset on the tenth day.
Faṭimah: Can you give an example?
Mother: For example, if a woman sees blood at 11 p.m. on Saturday,
her three days will be completed at sunset on Tuesday of that week, and
her ten days will be completed at sunset on the following Tuesday.
Faṭimah: So, if bleeding starts at night, the three days may be less than
72 hours and the ten days less than 240 hours!
Mother: Yes, that's correct.
```

## PDF PAGE 15

```text
15 | Women’s Religious Rules in Simple Language
Minimum Interval Between Two Menstrual Periods
Faṭimah: What is the usual interval between two menstrual periods?
Mother: The interval between one menstrual period and the next
should not be less than ten days.
Faṭimah: For example, if a woman experiences menstruation for seven
days and then becomes clean, but after five or six days sees blood again,
what is the ruling?
Mother: Since the interval between two menstrual periods cannot be
less than ten days, the second blood cannot be considered menstruation
but is instead ruled as Istiḥāḍa.
Types of Menstrual Cycles
Faṭimah: Do all women have a regular menstrual cycle?
Mother: No, some women have regular bleeding, which is referred to
as a "habit," but some women have irregular bleeding.
Faṭimah: Do all women with a regular cycle experience the same
amount of bleeding at a specific time?
Mother: No, women with a regular cycle (meaning regular bleeding)
fall into three categories:
1. Women who have both a "fixed time and fixed duration" when they
get their period, meaning, their bleeding is regular both in terms of the
time it starts and the number of days it lasts.
2. Women who have a "fixed time," meaning the time their bleeding
starts is regular, but the number of days it lasts is irregular.
3. Women who have a "fixed duration," meaning the number of days
they bleed is regular, but the time their menstruation starts is irregular.
Examples of the Types of Menstrual Cycles
Faṭimah: Can you give an example for each type?
```

## PDF PAGE 16

```text
Mother: Yes, why not!
1. If a woman sees blood on the 15th day of each month for the past
two months and becomes clean on the 20th day, she has a fixed habit in
terms of the time and duration of menses which is for five days.
2. If a woman sees blood on the 1st day of each month for the past two
months, but the days she becomes clean are irregular—for example, she
becomes clean on the 8th day in the first month and the 6th day in the
second month—she only has a "fixed-time" habit.
3. If a woman has seen blood for seven days in the past two months,
but the time it starts and ends is not the same—for example, in the first
month, she bleeds from the 1st to the 7th day, and in the second month,
she bleeds from the 10th to the 17th day—she only has a fixed habit in
terms of the duration of menstruation which is seven days.
Types of Women Without a Regular Menstrual Cycle
Faṭimah: Do women without a regular cycle (meaning irregular
bleeding) have similar conditions?
Mother: No, women without a regular cycle are also divided into three
categories: Mubtadiʾa, Muḍṭariba, and Nāsiya.
1. Mubtadiʾa: A woman who sees blood for the first time.
2. Muḍṭariba: A woman who has seen blood twice in consecutive
months, but those two times were not the same in terms of either time
or number of days.
3. Nāsiya: A woman who previously had a regular menstrual cycle but
has forgotten either the amount or the time of her cycle, or both.
Faṭimah: So, there are six categories in total!
Mother: Yes, that's correct; and it's important to note that each of these
six categories has its own specific rules, and every woman should
identify her condition to fulfill her religious duties.
```

## PDF PAGE 17

```text
17 | Women’s Religious Rules in Simple Language
How to Determine Your Condition
Faṭimah: How can women determine which of the six categories they
belong to?
Mother: The best way is to keep a notebook to record the days of their
menstrual cycle. After becoming clean from menstrual blood, they
should compare the number of days and the timing of their current
period with the previous month's period. If both the time and the
number of days are the same, then their cycle is both fixed in time and
duration. If only the start time is the same, their cycle is fixed in time.
If only the number of days is the same, their cycle is fixed in duration.
If both are different, it is considered irregular (Muḍṭariba).
Faṭimah: Which of these six categories do I belong to?
Mother: For now, this month, you are in the Mubtadiʾa category (first-
time menstruation). But in the next month, after your second period
ends, you will know which category you belong to by following the
method you learned.
Rules for Fixed Time and Duration Cycles
Faṭimah: If a woman has a fixed time and duration cycle, and she sees
blood at the expected time, what should she do?
Mother: As soon as she sees blood, she should consider it the start of
her menstruation and stop performing prayers.
Faṭimah: If a woman has a fixed time and duration cycle, and her
period usually lasts seven days, but one month she bleeds for eight or
nine days, what should she do?
Mother: She should consider all eight or nine days as menstruation,
even if the blood doesn't have the typical signs of menstruation at
certain times.
Faṭimah: If a woman has a fixed time and duration cycle of seven days,
but one month she bleeds for more than ten days, what should she do?
```

## PDF PAGE 18

```text
Mother: She should consider only the blood that appears during her
usual cycle days as menstruation, and any bleeding beyond that is
classified as Istiḥāḍa.
Rules for Fixed Time Cycles
Faṭimah: For example, if a woman has a fixed time cycle and sees
blood on the 10th day of every month, if she sees blood on the expected
day (i.e., on the 10th day), should she consider it the start of her
menstruation as soon as she sees it?
Mother: Yes, as soon as she sees the blood, she should consider it
menstruation and stop performing prayers.
Faṭimah: If a woman has a fixed time cycle, how many days might her
period last?
Mother: If her bleeding continues for more than three days and stops
before ten days, all of that blood is considered menstruation.
Faṭimah: If a woman has a fixed time cycle and sees blood at the
expected time, but the bleeding lasts more than ten days, what should
she do?
Mother: If the blood remains the same throughout the entire period,
she should consider the number of days in the cycle of some close
relatives (such as her mother, sister, cousin, etc.) as her menstruation
period, and the rest is classified as Istiḥāḍa. For example, if most of the
female relatives have a seven-day cycle, she can consider the first seven
days as menstruation and the rest as Istiḥāḍa.
Rules for Fixed Duration Cycles
Faṭimah: If a woman has a fixed duration cycle, should she consider it
menstruation as soon as she sees blood?
Mother: If the blood she sees has the signs of menstruation (for
example, it is dark red, and it exits with pressure, and causes slight
burning sensation), she should immediately consider it menstruation.
```

## PDF PAGE 19

```text
19 | Women’s Religious Rules in Simple Language
However, if it doesn't have these signs, she should wait until she is sure
the bleeding will last for three days, then consider it menstruation.
Faṭimah: If a woman has a fixed duration cycle of seven days but one
month she bleeds for five days or nine days, what should she do?
Mother: Since her bleeding stops before the full ten days in both cases,
all five or nine days should be considered menstruation.
Faṭimah: If a woman has a fixed duration cycle of seven days, but one
month she bleeds continuously for more than ten days, what should she
do?
Mother: She should consider the first seven days as menstruation. If
on the eighth day she notices that the bleeding hasn't stopped, she
shouldn't perform the ritual bath (Ghusl) for menstruation and should
wait until the tenth day. If the bleeding continues after the tenth day, it
will be clear that the first seven days were menstruation and the
remaining three days were Istiḥāḍa. She should then perform Ghusl for
menstruation and make up for the prayers she missed during those three
days.
Rules for Mubtadiʾa (First-Time Menstruation)
Faṭimah: If a girl is Mubtadiʾa, meaning she sees blood for the first
time, should she consider it menstruation as soon as she sees it?
Mother: If the blood she sees has the signs of menstruation, she should
immediately consider it menstruation. But if it doesn't have these signs,
she should wait until she is sure the bleeding will last for three days,
then consider it menstruation.
Faṭimah: If a girl is Mubtadiʾa and bleeds for seven or eight days, what
should she do?
Mother: She should consider all seven or eight days as menstruation.
Faṭimah: If a girl is Mubtadiʾa but bleeds for more than ten days, what
should she do?
```

## PDF PAGE 20

```text
Mother: If the blood remains the same throughout the entire period,
she should consider the number of days in the cycle of some close
relatives (such as her mother, sister, cousin, etc.) as her menstruation
period, and the rest is classified as Istiḥāḍa. For example, if most of the
female relatives have a seven-day cycle, she can consider the first seven
days as menstruation and the rest as Istiḥāḍa.
Ruling on Mistaking Blood for Menstruation
Faṭimah: If the bleeding was heavy at first, and a woman considered
herself menstruating and stopped praying or fasting during Ramadan,
but the blood suddenly stopped completely before the third day, what
should she do?
Mother: She should make up for the prayers and fasts she missed
during that time, and she bears no sin for this mistake.
Spotting at the End of Menstruation
Faṭimah: If the intensity of bleeding decreases on the sixth or seventh
day and turns into spotting, such that every time a woman checks
herself, the cotton is stained with pink or yellow spots, what is the
ruling on this?
Mother: Spotting at the end of the menstrual period is still considered
part of menstruation, even if the blood is very little and has turned
yellow or pink. If the bleeding completely stops before the tenth day,
all of this blood is considered menstruation. However, if the spotting
continues beyond the tenth day, where every time she checks herself,
the cotton is stained with light yellow or pink spots, there are two
scenarios:
1. If she has a fixed time and duration cycle, or only a fixed
duration cycle, she should consider the number of days of her
usual cycle as menstruation, and the rest as Istiḥāḍa. For
example, if her usual cycle is six days, she should consider the
first six days as menstruation and the remaining four days as
```

## PDF PAGE 21

```text
21 | Women’s Religious Rules in Simple Language
Istiḥāḍa. Therefore, she must make up the prayers missed
during these four days.
2. If she is a Mubtadiʾa (first-time menstruation) or has a fixed
time cycle, she should follow the cycle of one of her close
female relatives.
Spotting on Other Days
Faṭimah: What if a woman has spotting less than three days after ten
days of becoming pure from menstrual blood (in the middle of the
month)? What is the ruling on this?
Mother: Since the minimum duration of menstruation is three days,
this spotting is certainly not considered menstruation but rather
Istiḥāḍa.
Faṭimah: What if a woman has spotting for more than three days after
ten days of cleanliness (in the middle of the month)? What is the ruling
on this?
Mother: If the spots are just regular yellowish discharges that are not
considered blood, then the discharges are pure, and the woman is under
no religious obligation. However, if the spots are light blood or
yellowish blood, they are considered menstruation.
Faṭimah: What if a woman has spotting after ten days of cleanliness
(in the middle of the month) and is unsure whether the spots are blood
or regular discharges? What is the ruling in this case?
Mother: In case of doubt, there is no ruling, and it is considered pure.
Checking for the End of Menstruation
Faṭimah: If a woman suspects that her bleeding has stopped, what
should she do?
```

## PDF PAGE 22

```text
Mother: If the bleeding has stopped outwardly but she suspects there
may still be blood internally, she should check herself. It is not
permissible to stop prayers without checking.
Faṭimah: How should she check herself?
Mother: She should insert a small piece of cotton into the place of
bleeding and wait for a while before taking it out. If the cotton is white
and clean, she is considered pure. If the cotton is stained with blood, it
shows that she is still not pure.
Faṭimah: Many girls may find it difficult to check themselves in this
way before marriage. In this case, how can they know if the bleeding
has stopped or not?
Mother: If they are sure that the bleeding has stopped internally or that
it is still continuing, they should act according to their certainty. In case
of doubt, they should assume they are still menstruating until they are
sure they have become pure.
Prohibited Actions for Menstruating Women
Faṭimah: What actions are prohibited for a menstruating woman?
Mother: Some of the actions prohibited for a menstruating woman
include:
1. Performing prayers, whether obligatory or recommended, and
there is no obligation to make up for prayers missed during
menstruation.
2. Fasting, whether obligatory or recommended, but it is
obligatory to make up the fasts of Ramadan that were missed
due to menstruation.
```

## PDF PAGE 23

```text
23 | Women’s Religious Rules in Simple Language
3. Touching the verses of the Quran, and also (as an obligatory
precaution1) the name of Allah in any language.
4. Reciting any verse of the Quran that requires a prostration
(Sajdah)2. However, reciting other verses of the Quran,
supplications, and Ziyārāt3 are allowed, and listening to the
verses that require prostration is also allowed.
5. Entering the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) or the
Prophet's Mosque (Masjid al-Nabī, peace be upon him and his
family).
6. Entering and staying in any mosque and (as an obligatory
precaution) the porticos where the holy graves of the Imams
are located. However, a menstruating woman can enter from
one door and exit from another without staying.
Note: For further information on other prohibited actions during
menstruation, refer to Islamic Laws (book of religious rulings).
1 Obligatory precaution means that the person can follow another jurist's
ruling, making sure he is the next most learned person in the field of Islamic
jurisprudence.
2 The verses which require obligatory prostration are in Sūrah al-Sajdah
(Chapter 32, Verse 15), Sūrah Fussilat (Chapter 41, Verse 37), Sūrah al-Najm
(Chapter 53, Verse 62), and Sūrah ʿAlaq (Chapter 96, Verse 19).
3 Special supplications recited upon visiting the shrines of the Infallibles –
peace be upon them.
```

## PDF PAGE 24

```text
Rules of Istiḥāḍa
```