Is the Hanafi Ruling Different From the Shafi‘i Ruling on Purity?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

Over the years, my purity period has shortened to 12-15 days, but my period occurs with normal symptoms. It has been consistent for months, so it’s not istihada.

According to this answer Rules Regarding an Incomplete Clean Period, I should treat the first days as istihada until 15 days of purity. Is this also the case in Hanafi fiqh?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

It can be unsettling if one’s menstrual cycle shifts around like this.

If one sees blood during the 15-day purity (tuhr) period. You will revert to your regular cycle, and only the blood that comes within the cycle is your menstrual blood; the other bleeding within the 15-day period is considered irregular bleeding, during which you must pray and fast as normal.

The minimum period of purity (tuhr) is fifteen days, because it has been reported from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) that he said: “The minimum duration of menstruation is three days, its maximum is ten days, and the minimum period between two menstrual cycles is fifteen days.” [Ibn al-Jawzi, al-’Ilal al-Mutanahiya]

This is how it is mentioned in al-Ghayah. The Companions unanimously agreed upon this ruling. Since it is a legally fixed period, it is treated as the minimum period required to establish residence (iqama). [Zayla‘i, Tabyin al-Haqa’iq]

Advice

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.

I advise contacting a local, reliable female scholar who is well-versed in matters of menstruation. Also, try to attend any on-the-ground and online courses on menstruation. Also, at your earliest convenience, buy books related to the topic; some are linked below.

And Allah knows best.

[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Related Answers

•  What Is the Minimum Period of Purity Between Menses? — Ustadh Tabraze Azam — the Hanafi minimum interval, which is the heart of your question.
• Should a Woman Continue To Pray if her Menstrual Cycle Starts Before 15 Days of Purity? — Ustadha Shaista Maqbool — what the Hanafi school asks of you when purity falls short.
• What Do I Do If I Bleed on the 15th Day of Purity? — Mawlana Ilyas Patel — the role of your established habit in sorting the two.

Books and Apps

• 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

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.