Key Islamic guidelines for women during menstruation and postpartum.

🩸 Guidelines Regarding Menstruation and Postpartum

This article explains important Islamic rulings for women during menstruation (Haiz) and postpartum (Nafas), covering Quran recitation, prayer, fasting, mosque attendance, and other devotional acts.

📖 Quran Recitation & Touching

Women during menstruation or postpartum are prohibited from reciting the Quran, looking at it, reading it verbally, or touching it in any manner, including the small Quran, clothing edges, fingertips, any part of the body, or through the garments they are wearing. However, touching the Quran kept inside a cover (Juzdan) is allowed. (Common references)

🌍 Quran Translation Rules

If the Quran is accompanied by its translation in Persian, Urdu, or any other language, the same ruling applies regarding touching and reciting it. (Dar al-Mukhtar, Al-Amiri)

👩‍🏫 Rules for Quran Teachers

Female Quran teachers during menstruation or postpartum should teach each word slowly and can instruct in spelling. There is no prohibition in this method. (Dar al-Mukhtar)

🤲 Dhikr & Supplications

Reciting Kalima, Durood Sharif, Istighfar, and other supplications is permissible and recommended during menstruation or postpartum. Performing them with ablution or after washing is better, but allowed without it. (Dar al-Mukhtar)

🕰️ Prayer Time Dhikr

Women should engage in dhikr, Durood, and other devotional acts for as long as they would normally perform their prayers to maintain habit. (Al-Amiri)

📢 Responding to Adhan

It is permissible for women during menstruation or postpartum to respond to the Adhan. (Common references)

🕌 Mosque & Tawaf Rules

Women are prohibited from entering the mosque or Kaaba during menstruation or postpartum. Performing Tawaf, passing through mosques, or making prostrations is not allowed. Listening to verses requiring prostration does not obligate them to prostrate. Visiting Eidgah or taking items from a mosque is allowed. (Rad al-Muhtar)

🕌 Prayer & Fasting Rules

Performing prayer or fasting during menstruation or postpartum is prohibited. Regular prayers are exempt; qadha (make-up) is not required. However, qadha of missed fasts is obligatory. (Dar al-Mukhtar, Al-Amiri)

If the prayer time has arrived and menstruation occurs or childbirth happens before performing the prayer, that prayer is excused. If a voluntary prayer was being performed, qadha is required.

📌 Qadha & Concluding Rulings

Issue 1:
If menstruation stops in less than three days, she should observe fasts and perform prayers with ablution; bathing is not necessary. If bleeding occurs again within 15 days, she should bathe and perform prayers, counting regular menstruation days and making qadha for the remaining days. Those without a regular cycle should make qadha after ten days. If she bathes after ten days, prayers for those days are complete and qadha is not needed. Fasts before the cycle should be compensated, and subsequent fasts are obligatory.

Issue 2:
If a woman’s menstruation stops after three days and her usual cycle is not complete, or postpartum bleeding stops before the regular days are completed, she should bathe and start prayers immediately without waiting for the full cycle days.

Issue 3:
If bleeding continues beyond the usual cycle, she should wait ten days for menstruation and forty days for postpartum. If bleeding stops within this period, she should bathe and perform prayers. Remaining prayers and qadha fasts should be made up afterward.

Issue 4:
If menstruation or postpartum bleeding stops before completing the usual cycle days, she should wait until the recommended time, bathe, and pray. If the regular cycle days are complete, waiting is not necessary. (Al-Amiri, Rad al-Muhtar, etc.)

Issue 5:
After completing ten days of menstruation and forty days of postpartum bleeding, if there is even a little time during prayer to say "Allahu Akbar," that prayer becomes obligatory. She should bathe and perform qadha. If time is short, she can quickly bathe, wear clothes, say "Allahu Akbar" once, and perform the qadha. If there is no time, qadha is not required. (Rad al-Muhtar)

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can women recite Quran during menstruation or postpartum?

No, women are prohibited from reciting or touching the Quran directly during menstruation or postpartum, except for Quran inside a cover (Juzdan).

2. Can women perform prayer or fasts during menstruation?

Performing prayer or fasting is prohibited during menstruation or postpartum. Regular prayers are exempt, but qadha fasts are obligatory.

3. Is it permissible to respond to Adhan during menstruation?

Yes, responding to the Adhan is allowed during menstruation or postpartum.

📌 The remaining part of this topic will be published in the next post, Insha’Allah. Stay tuned for further rulings and detailed guidance.

Click here to read the next part: Menstruation & Postpartum Fasting