Is it Necessary to Continue Checking Until the End of the Ten-Day Period?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
At the end of my menstrual period, I noticed a discharge that looked infected, and I was experiencing irritation. Should this be considered part of my period, preventing me from performing ghusl and praying, or should it be seen as an infection?
Additionally, after performing ghusl when I believe my period has ended, is it necessary to continue checking for any discharge until the ten-day period is complete?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
Generally, a woman is not obligated to check herself frequently; however, when she knows she is towards the end of her menstrual days, then she must check before each prayer time whether she is clean now and whether the current prayer is obligatory on her or not. She does not have to check until the end of the ten-day period. However, she will know if she is bleeding, like in your case. [Hartford, Birgivi’s Manual Interpreted]
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 menstruation matters. Also, try to attend any on-the-ground and online courses on menstruation. Also, at your first instance, buy books related to the topic; some are in the link below.
Obligation
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 book, Woman’s Guide to Menstruation Rulings by Naielah Ackbarali, is a very accessible book to learn these rulings. They are in English and have many practical examples, life experiences, and even illustrative charts to calculate menstruation.
Also, you can download the first-ever menstruation period tracking app, which is personalized for Muslim women. This app helps you understand menses, purity, irregular bleeding, lochia, etc., at first glance! The application is in harmony with religious scholarship.
Related:
- How Can I Know the End of My Menstrual Period?
- How Can I Judge When My Menstrual Period Has Ended?
- Menstruation: A Comprehensive Reader
- A Muslim Woman’s Guide To Menstruation Rulings. [Recommended Book]
- Coming of Age by Hedaya Hartford. [Recommended Book]
- Fiqh of Menstruation Video Series. [Free]
Paid Courses:
Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersGuidance?
I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
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.
