Ramadan is a sacred month of fasting, prayer, and spiritual reflection for Muslims worldwide. However, women who experience menstruation during this time often have questions about how to navigate fasting and other religious obligations.
This article provides a detailed guide on the rules for menstruation during Ramadan, ensuring that women can observe this holy month while adhering to Islamic principles.
Prohibition of Fasting and Prayer During Menstruation
During menstruation, women are prohibited from fasting and performing Salah (prayer). This is based on clear Islamic teachings that exempt women from these acts of worship during their period. If a woman fasts while menstruating, her fast is invalid, and she must make up the missed days later.
Read: All the rules regarding females in Ramadan.
Making Up Missed Fasts (Qada) after Period
Women are required to make up the days of fasting they miss due to menstruation. Here are the key rules:
- Obligation to Make Up Fasts: There is scholarly consensus that women must make up missed fasts after Ramadan.
- Timing of Make-Up Fasts:
- It is permissible to delay making up fasts if there is a valid reason, such as continuous illness.
- However, missed fasts must be completed before the next Ramadan.
- Consequences of Delay:
- If a woman delays making up fasts without a valid excuse until the next Ramadan, she is considered sinful by the majority of scholars.
- In addition to making up the fasts, some scholars recommend offering Kaffarah (expiation) by feeding a poor person for each missed day.
When Menstruation Starts During Ramadan:
The timing of menstruation affects the validity of a woman’s fast. Here’s what you need to know:
- If Menstruation Starts Before Sunset:
- If a woman begins menstruating during the fasting day (before sunset), her fast is invalidated, and she must make up the day.
- If Menstruation Starts After Sunset:
- If menstruation begins after sunset, her fast is complete and valid.
- If Menstruation is Felt but No Blood is Discharged:
- If a woman feels the onset of menstruation but no blood is discharged until after sunset, her fast is still valid.
Purity (Tuhr) During Ramadan
When a woman becomes pure from menstruation during Ramadan, specific rules apply:
- If Purity is Achieved Before Dawn:
- If a woman becomes pure before dawn, she must fast, and her fast is valid even if she does not perform Ghusl (ritual bath) until after dawn.
- If Purity is Achieved During the Day:
- There are two scholarly opinions:
- First Opinion (Hanafi School): She must abstain from eating and drinking for the rest of the day and make up the fast later.
- Second Opinion (Maliki and Shafi’i Schools): She does not need to abstain from eating and drinking but must make up the fast later.
- There are two scholarly opinions:
Colored Discharge and Menstruation during fasting
- Brownish Discharge:
- If a woman sees a brownish discharge during her period, it is still considered menstruation.
- White Discharge (Complete Purity):
- A woman should wait until she sees a white discharge, which indicates complete purity, before resuming fasting and prayer.
Can you Use Medication to Delay Menstruation during Ramadan?
It is permissible for a woman to take medication to delay her period if it does not harm her. If a woman takes medication to stop her period and it stops, her fast is valid.
Istihada (Non-Menstrual Bleeding) During Ramadan:
Istihada refers to irregular bleeding that occurs outside the normal menstrual cycle. If a woman experiences Istihada, she should continue to pray and fast. She must distinguish between menstrual blood and Istihada based on color, smell, and thickness. If she cannot distinguish, she should adhere to the fixed days of her monthly cycle.
Other Important Points regarding period in Ramadan:
- Reciting the Quran: It is permissible for a woman to recite the Quran from memory or read it if needed for teaching or learning.
- Changing Clothes: A woman does not need to change her clothes after her period if they are not soiled by menstrual blood.
- Irregular Menstruation: If a woman’s menses is irregular, she should not pray during the days she sees blood.
How to Spend Ramadan in Periods?
Although you are not allowed to fast or pray while you are on your period, there are a large number of worships and good deeds that you can do to make the best out of your time during Ramadan. Let‘s enumerate some of these worships.
1. Zikr and Supplication
The best way to make good use of your time during Ramadan while you are on your period is by saying zikr and supplication. This can be done during waiting times or even while you are doing your daily housework.
An example of these sayings is the enduring good deeds. As Abu Sa’id al-Khudri narrated the Messenger of Allah said:
“The lasting good deeds are: (the saying of) ‘None has the right to be worshiped except Allah alone (Lā ilāha illallāh), How perfect Allah is (Subhan Allah) and Allah is great (Allahu Akbar), and all praise is for Allah (Alhamdu Lillah), There is no might nor power except with Allah (La Hawla Wala Quwwata Illa Billah).” (Related by An-Nasa’i, Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim graded it as Sahih).
2. Charity
One of the ways to get more “Hasanat” during Ramadan is to give out charity. By doing so, you are following the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him, as narrated in the Hadith, “The Messenger of Allah was the most generous of the men, and he was the most generous during the month of Ramadan when Jibril visited him every night and recited the Quran to him. During this period, the generosity of the Messenger of Allah waxed faster than the rain-bearing wind”. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
3. Preparing Iftar meals
Although you can not fast while you are on your period, you can still gain the full reward of fasting by offering an iftar meal to another fasting person.
This is what prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him said in the hadith “He who provides a fasting person something with which to break his fast, will earn the same reward as the one who was observing the fast, without diminishing in any way the reward of the latter.” [At-Tirmidhi].
4. Attending online Islamic classes
Another way to spend your time during Ramadan is to join online Islamic classes, such as online tafseer course and, Islamic Studies Online Course. This will help you learn more about the Islamic rulings, in addition to achieving the great rewards of seeking knowledge in Islam.
Conclusion
Understanding the rules for menstruation during Ramadan is essential for women to observe this holy month correctly. By adhering to these guidelines, women can ensure that their fasts and prayers are valid while maintaining their spiritual connection with Allah. Whether it’s making up missed fasts, distinguishing between menstrual and non-menstrual bleeding, or using medication to delay menstruation, these rules provide clarity and ease for women during Ramadan. May Allah accept the efforts of all believers and grant them the blessings of this sacred month.
