How to Know If Discharges Are Period?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question: Assalamu alaykum

I had periods for 8-9 days then I did ghusl after that I was clean. After 3 days I saw pinkish discharge and then I was clean for 2 days,but then I had heavy spotting.

Are these periods?

Answer: As-salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh

I pray you are well. Thank you for you question.

Periods and Purity

In the Ḥanafī school the minimum duration for a period is three days (72 hours), and its maximum duration is ten days (240 hours). Bleeding which is less than the minimum or more than the maximum is considered to be dysfunctional bleeding (istiḥāḍa). Also, there must be at least fifteen days of purity between the end of one menstrual cycle and the start of the next. Any spotting or bleeding during this time is also dysfunctional bleeding.

Keeping Track

It is worth noting that is obligatory for Muslim ladies to document their monthly menstrual habit: the duration of their last menstrual cycle must be recorded, along with the general time of occurrence during the month (7th-12th of the month, or 20th-30th of the month, for example). Doing so is essential as it can save a lot of difficulty if she were to develop problems with dysfunctional bleeding. The same is true for Post-Natal bleeding.

Fore-learned is Forearmed

Your asking this question is commendable, and you will be rewarded for your concern by the generosity of Allah. A good approach is to learn the knowledge needed to practice your religion properly and to try to keep it fresh, because many a time situations arise when an on-the-spot decision needs to be made, and it may not be possible to consult with someone at that point. The only thing that will help at that point is having a grounding in the relevant knowledge, especially with the topic at hand because of the difficulty of its details.

May Allah facilitate the way to His pleasure for us all.

Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 to study and sit at the feet of some of the most erudite scholars of our time.

Over the following eighteen months he studied a traditional curriculum, studying with scholars such as Shaykh Adnan Darwish, Shaykh Abdurrahman Arjan, Shaykh Hussain Darwish and Shaykh Muhammad Darwish.

In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years, in Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Theology, Hadith Methodology and Commentary, Shama’il, and Logic with teachers such as Dr Ashraf Muneeb, Dr Salah Abu’l-Hajj, Dr Hamza al-Bakri, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, Dr Mansur Abu Zina amongst others. He was also given two licences of mastery in the science of Qur’anic recital by Shakh Samir Jabr and Shaykh Yahya Qandil.

His true passion, however, arose in the presence of Shaykh Ali Hani, considered by many to be one of the foremost tafsir scholars of our time who provided him with the keys to the vast knowledge of the Quran. With Shaykh Ali, he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Qur’anic Sciences, Tafsir, Arabic Grammar, and Rhetoric.

When he finally left Jordan for the UK in 2014, Shaykh Ali gave him his distinct blessing and still recommends students in the UK to seek out Shaykh Abdul-Rahim for Quranic studies. Since his return he has trained as a therapist and has helped a number of people overcome emotional and psychosomatic issues. He is a keen promoter of emotional and mental health.