QUESTION:
As Salaamu Alaikum,
My wife has a condition called PCOS where basically her menstrual cycle is completely messed up, erratic and irregular, her cycle generally lasts 2 months or longer and then she won’t have another cycle for 6-7months and During non-cycle times every other day, she will still experience some minor bleeding and constant spotting of blood.
Question #1:
Regarding my upcoming Umrah/Trip to Makkah & Madinah
If she does experience an irregular cycle and/or minor bleeding or spotting every other day while on our trip in Makkah & Madinah
a) Is she able to make Umrah in that state? if no is the answer,
b) is she allowed to still visit the Kabba or visit Safa & Marwa in that state?
c) Is she able to visit the Harram or Masjid Nabawi in that state?
d) can she make Dua or Zikr in that state?
Question #2:
Regarding performance of Salaat
Given that her cycle generally last for 2 months on average and she still has some minor bleeding every other day
a) What is the ruling on her making Salaat? Is she exempt from making salaat during the times when her cycle is very strong even thought it lasts for upto 2 months
b) if she notices some minor bleeding or spotting during her non cycle times is she exempt from making her salaat aswell?
ANSWER:
Wa Alaikum As Salaam,
Because of the irregular and continuous spotting of blood during her monthly days and other non-monthly days, she will be regarded as one who is experiencing ‘Istihadha’ or abnormal bleeding. In this case, she must use her monthly habitual days of menses (of the past) as her guide. However, seeing that there is a clear disruption in her monthly cycle, she should consider10 days to be her menses from the day/ date she would normally begin to see the flow of blood or spotting.
Therefore, when she has her menstrual cycle for the 2 months or more, then she must count 10 days as
her menses from the first day she sees blood. During these 10 days, she must consider herself to be in her menses even though she may not experience bleeding or spotting every day in these 10 days. During
this time, she cannot perform Salah, recite Quran and go to the Kaabah to do Tawaaf and the walking
between Safa and Marwah. She also cannot go to the Prophet’s masjid and the Rawdhah. She can however, make dua and do Dhikr.
During the period of these 10 days (of her menses), if she is in Makkah for the Umrah, she will not be
able to do the Umrah. She must wait until these 10 days come to an end, and then do the Umrah, since
at that time, she will be in Istihadha and not menses.
When these 10 days come to an end, she will be out of her menses, and even though she may still see
blood/ spotting, it will not be deemed as menses. Instead, it will be considered as Istihadha. In this state
(of Istihadha), she must take a Ghusl (ritual bath) to officially come out of her impure state of menses,
and then perform the 5 daily Salah and other optional Salah. During this time, she will be allowed to do
her Umrah, go to the Kaabah for Salah and do other optional Tawaaf. She can go to the masjid and also
go to Masjid An Nabawi.
The above guidelines will be the same if she sees blood/ spotting in the non-cycle months.
With respect to question No. 2, the answers are:-
- a) When she sees blood/ spotting on any given day during the months of her cycle or the months in
which she does not have a cycle (but sees blood), then she will count ten days (including the first day
she saw blood) as her official menses for that particular month. During these 10 days, she will be
exempted from her 5 daily Salah, and will not be required to make Qadha of these afterwards.
When these 10 days come to an end, she must take a bath and perform the 5 daily Salah. She will
continue to do this even though she sees blood, since this flow of blood is regarded as Istihadha and not
menses. This will continue for 15 days as long as she continues to experience blood/ spotting. Although
this is Istihadha, it will be considered as her state of purity. After the completion of 15 days, if at that
time, she still experiences blood/spotting, then she will consider the flow of blood/ spotting to be
menses for 10 days again.
If however, upon the completion of 15 days, the blood/ spotting stops, then she will continue to
consider herself to be in the state of purity until she sees blood again. Whenever she sees blood/
spotting again, she will regard that day as the first day of her menses (for that period), and count 10
days as her monthly cycle.
The above ruling will be the same in cases where her cycle is very strong and when it is not very strong.
- b) if she sees some minor blood/ spotting during her non cycle time, then she will follow the above
mentioned guidelines in that case also.
And Allah Knows best
Mufti Waseem Khan
21/09/2023