What If a Woman Gets Her Periods While Fasting?

Answered by Shaykh Dr. Bassem Itani

Question

What should a woman do if she experiences menstrual bleeding while fasting during Ramadan?

Answer

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, his Family, and all his Companions.

Ruling

If a woman sees menstrual blood during her fast in Ramadan, her fast is invalidated, even if she sees the blood just a moment before sunset. She should break her fast and not behave like those who are fasting. She does not fast or pray during her menstrual period, and she must make up the days of fasting after Ramadan.

It was narrated by ‘Aisha (Allah be pleased with her), who said:

“This used to happen to us, and we were commanded to make up the fast but not to make up the prayers.” [Muslim]

This means that during the time of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace), women were instructed to make up the fasts of Ramadan because fasting is not valid during menstruation, and it occurs only once a year, so making it up is not burdensome. They were not commanded to make up the prayers because that would be overly burdensome due to the frequency of missed prayers, demonstrating the facilitation found in Islamic legislation.

Scholars have unanimously agreed that a menstruating woman is not required to pray or fast immediately. [‘Ayni, Umdat al-Qari]

No Resemblance

Menstruation is one of the factors that invalidate fasting. If a fasting woman finds herself menstruating during Ramadan at any time of the day, the fast of that day is nullified, whether it happens at the beginning or the end of the day. She should not abstain from eating for the rest of the day but should break her fast and not resemble those who are fasting because fasting while menstruating is prohibited, and resembling a prohibited act is also prohibited. [‘Ayni, al-Binaya]

Mercy

This Islamic legislation takes great care and consideration of a woman’s health, as women lose iron during menstruation, which can only be compensated by food. Women may also experience physical and emotional disturbances. Thus, the legislation has deemed her fast invalid so that the act of fasting does not become harmful to her. It comes as mercy and facilitation, allowing her to take care of her health, which is a trust, and it is incumbent upon the woman to preserve it. After her menstrual period ends, she should make up her fasts during the times she is able to fast.

And Allah knows best, and He is the guardian of success.

[Shaykh] Dr. Bassem Itani

Shaykh Dr. Bassem Hussayn Itani was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1965. He earned his Ph.D. in Islamic Studies in 2005. Among his mentors were Shaykh Muhammad Taha Sukkar, Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, Shaykh Mulla Abdul ‘Alim al-Zinki, Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri, Shaykh Abdul Razzaq al-Halabi, Shaykh Dr. Mustafa Dib al-Bugha, Shaykh Dr. Wahba al-Zuhayli, Dr. Muhammad al-Zuhayli, and others, may Allah have mercy on them all. 

Shaykh Itani has a rich background in both academic and administrative fields. He has held significant positions in many governmental and non-governmental institutions in Lebanon and abroad. This includes his role as a member of the Academic Committee at SeekersGuidance and a senior teacher with the free online global seminary.

From 2020 to 2021, he served as the Dean of the College of Da‘wa – University for Islamic Studies (Lebanon) – Postgraduate Studies. He was the Director of Dar Iqra for Islamic Sciences from 1998 to 2018. Shaykh Itani is a well-versed teacher in several academic subjects, including Fiqh, Usul, Aqida, and Tafsir. He has supervised and examined numerous Master’s and Doctoral theses at various universities and colleges in Lebanon.

His contributions to Islamic sciences are also evident in his writings and research. His notable works include “The Relied-upon Statements of Imam Zufar in the Hanafi School,” “Collective Ijtihad: The Sublimity of Thought in the 21st Century,” and “Custom and its Impact in Islamic Jurisprudence.” Shaykh Itani has actively participated in numerous scientific conferences and seminars, both in Lebanon and internationally. He is linguistically adept, excelling in Arabic, proficient in French, and comfortably conversant in English.