MENSTRUATION

[bamalli]

MENSTRUATION

While Muslim women generally know the does and don'ts of a normal
menstrual flow, many are at a loss of what to do during an abnormal
menstrual cycle. Our purpose here is not to discuss the normal flows
or the Islamic rules regarding them, but to address those rules
related to abnormal flows as well as post natal bleeding and bleeding
after a miscarriage, which are applicable for Muslim women.

MENSTRUATION IN QURAN

The Qur'an addresses menstruation on three occasions. The one verse,
which is small but holds a lot of detail is in 'chapter 2 verse 222'
which can be translated as:

"They ask you concerning menstruation (mahid) Say: it is a hurt
(adha) Therefore keep away from them during their menstruation and go
Not unto them until they have become clean (Tahara) And when they
have cleansed (Tatahhara) then go into Them as Allah has ordained for
you."

The implication of this verse is in regards to the sex between man
and women during the menstrual cycle. However, we learn several other
things that applies to women and menstruation in regards to other
aspects of Islam.

Adha, a hurt, injury or ailment, is the word that Allah uses to
describe the menstruation of a woman. Any woman can relate to the
hurt, which comes in the forms of abdominal, cramps, backache, inner
thigh pain, headaches, nausea and many other symptoms associated with
the menstrual flow. The severity of which will differ from women to
women, however women suffering from Endometriosis will have increased
abdominal cramps.

Tahara, cleansing or purity, Allah points out the fact that during
the time of the menstrual flow women are impure. Not in the sense
that everything related to her body is impure, for the menstrual
cycle is not in the hands of a woman.
But impurity in the sense that the menstrual flow is a form of
cleansing.

During the month the uterine lining will thicken in the hopes of
implantation. When this does not happen the uterine lining will shed,
a form of cleansing that the body requires in order to prepare for
the next month of anticipated pregnancy.

A medically defined normal menstrual flow is considered to be one
that occurs every month when a woman is not pregnant, for up to seven
days, and not associated with unusual amounts of pain. However women
are not programmed like a computer, the duration of their own normal
flow may differ from woman to woman.

There are two forms of abnormal flows, the prolonged flow and the
bleeding between menstrual cycles. Both of which are not subject to
the same rules that a normal flow is in shariah.

PROLONGED FLOW

This is something which the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
addressed with the women of his time.

Aisha reported that Fatimah, the daughter of Abu Hubaish Came to the
Prophet and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I am a woman who has a
constant discharge of Blood so I am not purified. Shall I give up
prayer?" He said: "No, that is a vein and not menses, And when your
menses comes, give up your prayer; And when the time elapses, wash
the blood from yourself and Than pray.

Umm Salamah reported that a woman used to discharge Blood at the time
of the Prophet. Umm Salamah asked Decision of the Prophet for her. He
said: "Let her look To the number of nights and days in a month which
she Used to have menses before, And let her give up prayer
proportionate to that in a Month. When she finishes that, let her
take bath And let her tie a cloth over her private part and then let
Her say prayer

From here we see that Muhammad referred to this abnormal flow as not
of the regular cycle, rather from a vein. While the vein should not
be taken in a literal sense we should understand it that the bleeding
comes from a different source than a normal menstrual flow, which
consists of the shedding of the uterine lining.

Menorrhagia, the medical term for prolonged blood flows or abnormal
amount of blood flow can have several causes. What is an abnormal
amount of blood? There is a charting system that will help you find
out. Some causes for prolonged blood flow include uterine fibroid
tumors, polyps, hormonal imbalances, thyroid level imbalance, lupus
and other medical conditions including cancer.

All women should refer to their doctors if they have prolonged blood
flows or large quantity of bleeding!

We also learn from these ahadith that the rules that are applicable
to women during their normal cycle are not applicable to women during
a prolonged flow. Under a normal menstrual flow a woman would not be
permitted to make pray 5 times a day, to fast during Ramadhan,
although she would have to make up her missed fasts during ramadan,
but no the prayer .
She would also be prohibited from staying in the mosque. However if
it is Eid all women are to come out for this celebration menstrual
flow or not.
Sexual intercourse is prohibited, however touching, kissing and other
forms of foreplay are allowed. She also would not make tawaf around
the Kabah during Hajj as well as touching the Arabic script of Quran.

During an abnormal flow none of the above things are prohibited for
her. She is to pray, fast, can stay in the mosque, make tawaf around
the Kabah, touch the Quran and have sexual intercourse. The only
requirement is that she makes ghusl as she normally would do after a
menstrual flow. When she makes salah she would also make wudu before
every prayer, however a full ghusl for every prayer is not mandated
but can be the choice of the woman as we have seen in the above
hadith.

BLEEDING INBETWEEN CYCLES

This is another form of abnormal bleeding that has been addressed by
Muhammad as reported: Narrated Aisha one of the wives of the
Messenger of Allah joined him in I'tikaf and she noticed Blood and
yellowish discharge (from her Private parts) and put a dish under Her
when she prayed

Narrated Aisha: Umm Habiba got bleeding In-between the periods for
seven years. She asked Allah's Messenger about it. He ordered her to
Take a bath and that it was from a blood Vessel. So she used to take
a bath Before every prayer

Again we see that the same legal rulings which apply to a prolonged
flow of bleeding to that of the bleeding in-between a normal cycle.
So what are some of the causes for such bleeding?

Metrorrhagia, the medical term for bleeding between cycles, has
several causes. Some of which are hormonal fluctuations, low thyroid
levels, vaginal infections, injury to the vagina, some forms of
cancer, certain medications, or stress. Whenever a woman experiences
bleeding in-between cycles from unknown causes it is best to call the
doctor. You should keep track of how many pads you use; this can help
determine if the blood flow is abnormally heavy. Also staying away
from aspirin can help since it prolongs bleeding.

The same Muslim scholar deductions related to the prolonged flow
would also relate to the flow in-between cycles. So a woman can
resume all normal activities which she would if she were not
menstruating.

POST NATAL BLEEDING (NIFAS)

One of the most commonly misunderstood things about postnatal
bleeding is that many women think that they should refrain from all
things for a total of forty days. They understand this to be the
scholarly deduction if they are bleeding or not. However according to
the scholarly deductions there are set maximum days just as we say in
the menstrual flow. This does not mean that if a woman's flow stops
before the forty days she is to continue in a state of "impurity"
rather she is to make ghusl and resume her Islamic duties.

Anas reported that Allah's Messenger had prescribed Forty days for a
woman in the state of nifas except that she feels purified before
this (period)

Again there is no set programming for women during these times, each
women will differ as to her flow. Some bleed for a longer amount of
time, some having a heavier flow, and some experiencing different
color of the discharge. If a woman is unsure as to any flow she is
having be it menstrual or postnatal she should discuss this with her
doctor. Generally most doctors will say about six weeks of postnatal
bleeding is normal and if bleeding occurs after that than a cause
should be found, depending on the blood flow.

BLEEDING AFTER A MISCARRIAGE

When a woman miscarries she may experience bleeding during and after.
The length of time will differ from each women but generally a woman
will bleed for a few days a week or on and off for a few weeks.
Concern should be noted if the bleeding is more than a normal
menstrual flow, or when you soak a pad within an hour. There are
different reasons why some women may flow heavier than others in
these times such as location of implantation in the uterus, how deep
embryo had implanted, condition of the uterine lining, or muscle tone
of the uterus. It could also be due to ones own nutrients, such as
iron, calcium and electrolytes. There are many factors, however if
you become concerned over the flow of blood or amount refer to your
doctor.

All the rules concerning a menstrual flow would also apply to women
who bleed after miscarriage. Such as not praying, fasting, having
sexual intercourse, tawaf around the Kabah.

A woman with sporadic bleeding after a miscarriage and it is
determined to be normal should resume her duties when she has no
flow. But when the flow comes again should ceases in her duties. If
the flow were determined to be of another nature than the rules
regarding abnormal blood flow would also apply.