Q&A on menstruation andpost partum bleeding -III

Ruling concerning a discharge of blood five days before giving birth
Question:A woman had bleeding during pregnancy five days before giving
birth, during the month of Ramadan. Should that blood be considered
menstruation or Istihaadhah ]prolonged flow of blood or menorrhagia[,
and what are the obligations upon her?
Response:If the matter is as mentioned, with her seeing blood five
days before giving birth, and she did not have any signs that labour
would occur soon, such as contractions, then in that case, the blood
is neither menstruation nor post-partum bleeding. It is simply
irregular blood. Therefore, she should not abandon the acts of worship
but must continue fasting and praying. If, along with the blood, she
has signs that her labour is near, such as contractions, then it is
considered post-partum bleeding and therefore she should abandon
praying and fasting due to it. Then, when she becomes pure after
giving birth, she must make up the days of fasting but not the
prayers.
The Standing Committee
The meaning of the word Quroo'
Question:Allaah says in the Quran )what means(:"Divorced women
remaining in waiting ]i.e., do not remarry[ for three Quroo'…'"]Quran:
2: 228[ What is the meaning here of the word Quroo'?
Response:Lexically, Quroo' can mean the time of purity and it can also
mean the menses itself. However, the correct meaning in the verse is
the menses as this is its most often usage by the Lawgiver )Allaah
Almighty( and is the opinion of the majority of the Companions.
Shaykh Ibn Jibreen
If the menses continue for more than their normal length
Question:If a woman normally has menses for seven or eight days but
once or twice has them for a longer period, what is the ruling
concerning that?
Response:If that woman normally has her menses for seven or eight days
and then they become longer, becoming nine, ten or eleven days, then
she must remain not praying until she becomes pure. This is because
the Prophetdid not set any specific limit for menstruation. Allaah
Says in the Quran )what means(:"…They ask you about menstruation. Say:
'It is harmful...'"]Quran 2: 222[
As long as that blood is flowing, the woman remains in her state of
menses until she becomes pure ]i.e., the blood stops[ and she then
makes Ghusl )ritual bathing( and prays. If, in the following month,
the blood comes for a shorter period of time, she makes Ghusl when the
blood stops, even if it was not as long as the previous period. The
important point is that as long as the woman is having menses and
bleeding, she remains in that state and she should not pray,
regardless of whether that amount of time is the same, longer or
shorter than her previous menses. When the blood stops, she should
pray.
Shaykh Ibn Al-'Uthaymeen
If a woman had a miscarriage in the third month of her pregnancy
Question:A year ago, I had a miscarriage in my third month of
pregnancy. I stopped praying until the blood stopped. It was said to
me that I should have prayed. What should I do now since I do not know
the exact number of days I did not pray?
Response:What is well-known and accepted among the scholars is that if
a woman has a miscarriage in the third month, she does not pray. This
is because when the woman has such a miscarriage, the foetus has
distinct human characteristics. Therefore, the blood that then flows
is considered post-partum bleeding and the woman does not therefore
pray. The scholars say that the foetus takes on the shape of a human
after eighty-one days, which is less than three months. If you are
certain that you had a miscarriage after three months, the blood that
came was post-partum bleeding. However, if it was before eighty days,
then the blood that came is irregular or abnormal blood and you should
not have left the prayer due to it. So, the dear inquirer must see if
the miscarriage was before eighty days, in which case she must make up
the prayers she missed. If she does not know how many days she missed,
she must estimate the matter and make up what she believes she has
missed.
Shaykh Ibn Al-'Uthaymeen
The prayer of a menstruating woman
Question:While I was praying, my menses began. What should I do? Do I
make up the prayers of the time of my menses?
Response:If the menses come after the beginning of a time for prayer,
for example, if you receive your menses half an hour after high noon,
then you must make up that prayer after your bleeding has ended since
when its time began you were in a state of purity. This is based on
Allaah's statement )which means(:"…Indeed, prayer has been decreed
upon the believers a decree of specified times."]Quran: 4: 103[
Do not make up the prayers you missed while menstruating. This is
based on the lengthy Hadeeth in which the Prophetsaid:"Is it not the
case that when you menstruate, you do not )are not obliged to( pray or
fast?"]Al-Bukhaari[
There is a consensus among the scholars that the prayers missed during
menstruation are not to be made up. However, if she becomes pure
)i.e., the bleeding stops( and she has enough time to pray one Rak'ah
)unit of prayer( or more of a prayer, then she must pray the prayer of
that time in which she became pure. This is based on the Hadeeth of
the Messenger of Allaah:"Whoever catches one Rak'ah of the 'Asr
)afternoon( Prayer before sunset has caught the 'Asr
Prayer."]Al-Bukhaari & Muslim[
If she becomes pure during the time of 'Asr or before sunrise and
there is enough time before sunset or sunrise to pray one Rak'ah, then
she should pray 'Asr in the former case and Fajr )dawn( in the latter
case.