Orders about menses, puerperal Haemorrhage and Prolonged Morbid menstruation.
Three kinds of bleeding is particular with women.
1. Menses
2. Puerperal Haemorrhage (Post delivery bleeding)
3. Prolonged Morbid Menstruation
1. Menses: Blood starts flowing from the uterus of a girl on attaining puberty after nine years of age. Its minimum duration is three days and maximum period is ten days. The period of cleanliness from menses is called ‘Tahar’. Its minimum period is Fifteen days and maximum has no limit. The period between two menses is called Tahar-e-Mutahalal (the disordered purification)
(Noorul Hadaya).During the menses period, discharge of any colour except pure white is considered as menses.
Menses stop after attaining old age. It is called Ayas age which means that there is no hope of menses. The age is ‘55’ years and some consider it ‘60’ years. After this age, if bleeding starts again, it is not menses.
(Noorul Hadaya)2. Puerperal Haemorrhage (puerperium): Puerperal Haemorrhage is that blood which flows after delivery. Its minimum period has no limit and maximum period is ‘40’ days. (i.e. The time from child's birth to return to normal state)
(Noorul Hadaya & Mala Budh)3. Prolonged morbid menstruation: Prolonged morbid menstruation (Irregular bleeding) is not the blood from the uterus. But it flows due to bursting of blood veins. If bleeding continued less than three days or more than ten days, it is prolonged morbid bleeding.
(N.H. & M.B.)The bleeding of a pregnant woman or the bleeding after delivery for more than ‘40’ days period or of a girl below the age of ‘9’ years or to an old woman (Aisa) are all condsidered to be prolonged morbid bleeding.
(Mala Budh & Durra Mukhtar Etc.)Important: During the period of menses and puerperal haemorrhage (post delivery bleeding) copulation is strictly prohibited (Haram) but during prolonged morbid bleeding, it is permissible.
(Noorul Hadaya & Mala Budh 3tc)As per Holy Quran:
(2-222) “O’Nabi (Kareem Sal'am) They ask you about menses periods tell them
that it
is a period of uncleanliness. Therefore keep away from women during their menses periods.
Do not go near them untill they are clean, then only go near them as order given by
Allah”.
Important: During menses period and puerperal haemorrhage (post delivery bleeding) the women are exempted from Namaz (prayers). They need not repeat these missed Namaz (prayers). Observing fast during this period is also prohibited. But after purification, it is necessary (Wajib) to keep fasts for the missed period.
(Noorul Hadaya, Mala Budh)Important: In the opinion of many Imams, sexual intercourse is not permissible without taking bath after purification from menses and puerperal haemorrhage (post delivery bleeding). But as per Imam Azam Rah, sexual intercourse is permissible without taking bath when menses stops after ‘10’ days and puerperal heamourrhage (post delivery bleeding) stops after ‘40’ days and one Namaz (prayer) time is passed.**
(Noorul Hadaya, Mala Budh)___________________________________________________________________________________________
** The reason for exempting the
Namaz (prayer) and compensatory fasting is that during the whole year only one month
fasting is obligatory (Farz). If during the month of Ramadhan (Ramazan) ‘10’
days of menses is counted then the compensatory fasting would be only for ‘10’
days which may not be difficult or a burden. But every month for ‘10’ days Fifty
Namaz (prayers) are missed and in a year the number of missed Namaz (prayer) would be
(600) and to offer compensatory (Khaza) Namaz (prayer) for so many Namazes (prayers) is
difficult. It is also stated that when Hzt. Eve started menses Hzt. Adam (A.S.) wanted
Allah’s guidance in the matter of prayer (Namaz) and was permitted exemption of Namaz
(prayers). Afterwards during the month of Ramadhan, she had the periods, considering the
exemption of Namaz (prayer), Haz. Adam (A.S.) permitted exemption of fasts also during the
menses period, without obtaining permission from Allah. Thus the compensation of the
missed fasts was made mandatory. (wajib). (Tahtari etc)
______________________________________________________________________________
Important: If menses stops before time, the women should take bath and offer Namaz (prayer) and keep fast. But copulation is not permissible before the habitual period is over. (Alamgiri, Noorul Hadaya)
Important: A woman who normally menstruates for less than ‘10’ days if continues to menstruated beyond that period, then upto 10 days will be counted as menses and the Namaz (prayer) will be avoided. If she continues to menstruate in some months beyond her usual menstruation period and upto ‘10’ days, then her normal period will be counted as menses period, and the excess period will be considered as prolonged morbid bleeding (Irregular bleeding). The period after the usual menstruation period in which no Namaz (prayers) were offered should be counted and the Namaz (prayer) repeated. (Sharhe Vaqaya)
3. Prolonged morbid menstruation: The prolonged morbid menstruation (Irregular bleeding) does not exempt a woman from offering Namaz (prayer) or observing fast.
(Mala budh)A woman suffering under prolonged morbid bleeding (Irregular bleeding) has to clean her private parts of the body and make fresh ablution for every Namaz (prayer).
(Alamgiri)If a girl according to age had reached maturity, but had no bleeding her whole life, she must offer Namaz (prayer), keep fast, and can have sex with the husband.
(G.A.)