How Should Nonstop Bleeding Be Managed for Prayer and Fasting in the Hanafi School?


Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

I have been experiencing nonstop bleeding since October 9. Previously, my menstrual cycle was regular, occurring every 4–5 weeks. I read that in such cases, I should stop praying and fasting during my original menstrual period. According to the Hanafi school, should I stop praying and fasting on the dates my period would normally occur?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

In the Hanafi school, a woman who is experiencing abnormal continuous bleeding (istihada) is required to carry out her obligatory worship and pray, fast, recite the Quran and touch it, enter a mosque, perform Tawaf with wudu, and have intimacy with one’s husband, as normal. [Birgivi, Dhukhr al-Muta’ahhilin]

Making Sense of Irregular Bleeding

Irregular bleeding may indicate an underlying hormonal imbalance or other issues. It is important to consult a qualified doctor or specialist for guidance on how to interpret this irregular bleeding.

General Advice – Record Your Menses

A woman’s habit is her body’s usual pattern of when blood and purity are seen during the month and for how many days.

Every woman must record her menses, lochia, and purity habits. The date and time any vaginal blood begins, including the spotting of blood, and the date and time any vaginal blood ends. [Naielah Ackbarali, The Woman’s Guide to Menstruation Rulings]

It is a personal obligation (fard) for every adult woman to learn the basic rules of menstruation and to ask, as you’ve done, in the case of a complicated or unique situation). The following two books: A translation and explanation of Imam Birgivi’s treatise “The Treasure of Families & Women” (Dhukhr al-Muta’ahhilīn wa al-Nisā’) on the advanced fiqh of menstruation, lochia, and abnormal bleeding and A Muslim Womans Guide to Menstruation Rulings are two good books. They are in English and have many practical examples, life experiences, and even illustrative charts to calculate menstruation.

I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. In sha Allah, you will receive guidance and direction.
What Are the Rulings on Different Vaginal Discharges?
Menstruation: A Comprehensive Reader – SeekersGuidance
The Treasures of Family and Women
A Muslim Woman’s Guide To Menstruation Rulings: Amazon.co.uk: Ackbarali, Naielah: 9781739599911: Books (Detailed Edition -Recommended book)
myhayd.app | First Ever Islamic Period Tracking App Personalized For Muslim Women | Hayd Tuhr Istihadah Nifaas Pregnancy
FREE Fiqh of Menstruation Video Series

Paid Courses

Basic Fiqh of Menstruation
Fiqh Of Menstruation For Women

I pray this helps with your question.

[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.