Section eleven.
About menstruation (haiz).
The minimum age of a minarche is 9 years of age according to the lunar calendar. If there is a discharge less than 16 days before reaching this age, then they are not considered menstrual. The minimum line of menstruation is one day, and the maximum is 15 days, but basically it lasts six to seven days. All these terms are established based on the results of personal research of Imam al-Shafi'i. The minimum cleanliness between menstrual cycles is 15 days. There is no limit to maximum purity, since a woman's menstrual flow can stop at any time and not return for the rest of her life.
Forbidden
A woman during menstruation is forbidden everything, for example, to read the Koran, to be in a mosque, etc. But if a woman fears that her discharge may stain the mosque, then she is forbidden even to pass through the mosque. She is also forbidden to fast even in the month of Ramadan. Missed fasts should be made up for, unlike prayer. Prayer should not be refunded. Baizavi says that it is forbidden to make up prayers missed during menstruation. Also, during menstruation, it is forbidden to give a divorce to the wife, if there was intimacy with her before.
It is forbidden to have sexual intercourse, as well as to touch the area between the navel and knees, even if you do not pursue the goal of obtaining pleasure. The book "at-Tahqiq" by Imam an-Nawawi says that only sexual intercourse is prohibited, and touching is allowed.
When the discharge ceases, all prohibitions remain in force until bathing, except for fasting and divorce, the prohibition is lifted from them.
Metrorrhagia (Istihazat)
Metrorrhagia (Istihazat) is uterine bleeding that differs from the usual menstruation in a woman and goes beyond the maximum period of menstruation (15 days). A woman in this state is a person whose ablution (hadasun daim) is constantly disturbed. During this period, a woman can observe a desirable fast and is obliged to observe an obligatory fast. And for prayer, she should do the following:
She washes her penis;
If she does not fast and does not feel discomfort from the tampon, then she should insert a tampon into the vagina;
If the discharge is abundant, she should use additional pads and hygiene products;
She performs ablution after the time of prayer, but not before it;
After ablution, she is obliged to perform prayer as quickly as possible;
If she postpones prayer for the reasons of prayer (hiding avrat or expecting jamaat), then there is nothing to worry about;
It is necessary to perform ablution for each fard prayer;
It is necessary for each fard of prayer to resume the process of washing and tying, which is mentioned above;
If she knows that her discharge stops for a certain time, then she must perform ablution and prayer at that time;
If the time of interruption of blood lasts only a couple of minutes, which is not enough to perform ablution and prayer, then she performs prayer, as described above;
If the time of interruption of discharge usually does not last more than a couple of minutes, and she performs ablution and prayer at this time, and then the time of interruption of blood extends for a time that is sufficient for ablution and prayer, then the ablution and prayer performed by her up to this time is not considered.
Detailed explanation of metrorrhagia
If a girl, upon reaching approximately nine years or more according to the lunar calendar, finds a discharge in herself and it lasts a day or more, but not longer than 15 days, then these discharges are menstrual. For example, if the discharge lasts three, four, five or 15 days, then these discharges are considered menstrual (haiz). Yellow or cloudy discharge, if different from daily discharge, is considered menstrual.
If the discharge lasts longer than 15 days, then this is called "Istihazat" (metrorrhagia). Women suffering from this phenomenon in Sharia are divided into the following varieties:
1. Beginner - distinguished (mubtadiat-mumayizat). Beginning - her discharge began for the first time and lasted longer than 15 days. Distinguishing - that is, capable of distinguishing a strong selection from a weak one. The strength and weakness of the secretions are determined, firstly, by color: black discharges are stronger than red discharges, red ones are stronger than brown ones, they are stronger than yellow or cloudy ones;
secondly, by smell and density. Hence, a thick and black smelling discharge is the strongest of the discharges, etc.
So, if there is no strong discharge for less than 1 day or no more than 15 days, and there is no weak discharge for less than 15 days, then if all of the above conditions are present, strong discharge is called menstrual, and weak discharge is considered metrorrhagia (istihazat).
Let's explain with examples. The girl began to discharge after nine years. They go for a whole month. She sees black discharge for the first five days, and then red for 24-25 days. So, black discharge is menstrual (haiz), and red is metrorrhagia (istihazat). Or she sees the first five days of red discharge, and then five days of black, and the remaining 20 days are also red. And in this case, the same thing, black discharge is menstrual (haiz), and red is metrorrhagia (istihazat).
If the above conditions are violated, that is, if she does not see different selections, but only one color, or her different selections are not stable - two or three days are red, two or three days are black, then she belongs to the next, second category. women suffering from metrorrhagia (istihazat).
2. Beginner - no different. Beginner - the discharge began for the first time and went on for more than 15 days. Non-distinguishing - one in which the discharge is uniform or the discharge is unstable. The first day of the discharge of such a woman is referred to as menstrual (haiz), and the rest of the month is referred to as metrorrhagia (istihazat).
3. The one who saw once a full-fledged discharge and cleansing after them, in which the next month there is a monotonous discharge for a whole month without any difference in their strength or weakness. If a girl at least once had a full-fledged discharge and cleanliness after them, and then the next time she will have a monotonous discharge for a whole month, then she retains her past routine. For example, if the last time her menstrual cycle lasted six days, and the next month, the discharge lasted for a whole month and there is no strong or weak discharge, then the six days that she saw earlier are considered menstrual, and the rest are metrorrhagia (istihazat).
4. The one who saw once a full-fledged discharge and cleansing after them, in which the next month there are uneven discharges for a whole month. That is, the second time there are strong and weak discharges, then it is obliged to adhere not to the cycle of the previous month, but to this ability to distinguish between strong and weak discharges. For example, in the first month she had five days of discharge, and then cleanliness. So she formed a cycle, but in the second month the cycle was broken and the discharge lasted a whole month, moreover, in the first ten days she had black discharge, and the remaining twenty days were red. In this case, in the second month, not five, but ten days are considered menstrual, because she is able to distinguish her weak from strong discharges. Here, strong discharges are menstrual (haiz), and weak ones are metrorrhagia (istihazat).
5. Forgotten your cycle. Forgetting is of two types - forgetting everything, and forgetting partially. The one who has forgotten everything is the one who has forgotten the beginning of her previous cycle and its duration. The situation of such a woman is very difficult. The prohibition of sexual intimacy is not removed from her. She is forbidden to read the Qur'an outside of prayer. She is obligated to pray always. To perform each prayer, she is obliged to bathe, because her discharge can stop at any moment. If she knows that her discharge stops at sunset, for example, then she bathes only at that time for the evening prayer, and for other prayers she makes ablution.
If she has not forgotten everything, but partially, that is, she remembers the start time of the cycle, but does not remember the duration, for example, she knows that her menstruation began at the beginning of the month, but does not know how many days it lasts. In this case, the first day is considered menstruation exactly, the second half of the month (after fifteen days) is considered metrorrhagia (istihazat), and in the interval between 15 and 1, there is a possibility of menstruation and therefore sexual intimacy is prohibited, there is also a probability of purity, and therefore she is obligated to pray
it is also possible that the discharge may stop and she is required to bathe for each prayer.
If she remembers the duration of the cycle, or rather, the number of days of menstruation and does not know when it began, then she is like a woman who has forgotten everything.
Discharge from a pregnant woman
The discharge of a pregnant woman and the purity between them are considered menstrual discharge if these discharges are not less than a day. They are considered menstrual from the beginning of their appearance until the expiration of 15 days. For example, a pregnant woman sees discharge for a couple of days, and then cleanliness, and then discharge again, and so on for up to 15 days. All the named days in which there were discharges and the days in which they were not are considered menstrual days. If this continues for more than 15 days, then this is metrorrhagia (istihazat).
Postpartum discharge (nifas)
Minimal postpartum discharge can stop in an instant, and can last up to a maximum of 60 days. It is generally believed that postpartum discharge lasts forty days. All this is the result of the research of Imam al-Shafi'i. During postpartum discharge, everything that is prohibited during the menstrual cycle is prohibited. If after 60 days the discharge does not stop, then this is considered metrorrhagia (istihazat). Everything about this has been discussed above.
Are women's secretions clean?
Scientists divide the daily discharge of a woman and smears from the vagina into three types:
1. Discharge from the external vagina. The external vagina is considered to be the place that can be seen when a woman squats. She must wash this place after correcting the need, as well as during ritual bathing, so that it is considered valid. The smear from this place is unambiguously clean.
2. A swab that is inside the vagina, about 15-16 cm deep (at the point of penetration of a medium-sized male genital organ) . The smear from this place is also clean according to the strongest version of the Shafi'i madhhab scholars.
3. A smear that is deeper, near the woman's uterus, is unclean.
So says Abdulhamid ash-Shirvani from the words of Buzhairami. This is the result of disagreements in the books of Mughni al-Muhtaj, in Kanz ar-Raghibin, in Nihayat al-Muhtaj and in Tuhfat al-Muhtaj.
But Muhammad Tahir al-Qarahi in Sharhul Mafrouz succinctly noted that any of the above swabs is clean.
But it should be noted that the smear and discharge that appeared during the arousal of a woman are impure, for this is pre-ejaculate (ointment).
All of the above does not apply to menstrual and postpartum discharge, because they are definitely unclean.
Ahmad Magomedov
Lecturer at the Dagestan Theological Institute. Saida Afandi
Audio version of this article:
Today, during a conversation, a dispute broke out between my friends: I said that fasting days missed due to menstruation should be made up later, and they began to argue that this should not be done, because prayers missed on such days do not need to be restored. I thought about it and could not answer them adequately. Explain. Safiya.
The prayers missed for this reason are not made up, they are right, but the fast is made up in mandatory okay. In reliable hadiths it is clearly stated that a woman (girl) will certainly make up (after the month of Ramadan) the fast she missed due to the beginning of the regular fast, but does not perform prayers missed because of this. The opinion of Muslim scholars is unanimous, there are no disagreements.
As you know, women during critical days should not fast. But in my environment there are several women who continue to fast these days! I cannot convince them that they are wrong! Can you please explain why not?
An authentic hadith says: “When menstruation begins, a woman (girl) does not pray (does not perform prayer-prayer) and does not fast.” She does not pray, does not perform a prayer-namaz due to the lack of ritual purity necessary for performing namaz. As for fasting, the situation is different here, since there is no need to have ritual purity in order to observe fasting. Both scientists of the first centuries and scientists of the present time have said and are saying that non-observance of fasting from the moment the menstruation begins, interrupting it even by drinking a glass of water, is special form worship of the Lord of the worlds, manifestations of piety, and nothing more. That is, this is the command of the Creator and the true reason is known only to Him. Fasting from the moment of the obvious beginning of menstruation until its complete completion is prohibited.
For the first time this year, I manage to observe the fast without interruption, and I am very glad about this. I wanted to clarify whether it is possible to fast during menstruation, if it is painless for me and I feel good. Gulnaz
Is it possible to fast during menstruation, so as not to make up for these days later? Rahim.
No. At the time of menstruation, fasting should be interrupted.
Some say that during the period of menstruation, girls can fast, but women cannot. How true is this?
This is not true, someone's invention. During menstruation, fasting is prohibited (haram), regardless of age and marital status. Missed days are made up one to one at the end of Ramadan, in a breakdown or in a row. Prayer prayers are also not performed during menstruation, but a girl or woman does not make up for them.
If I fast and by the end of the day, 2 hours before iftar, my period began, but I still did not break the fast and waited for the break of the fast, does this day count for me or do I need to make up for it after the end of the month of Ramadan? E.
Women do not fast during the regulars. But what if the menstruation began a few hours before iftar, for example, an hour and a half before breaking the fast? Should I break my fast on this day? Lily.
Is fasting valid if menstruation begins after midday prayer? Tamara.
If the rules have begun, the woman (girl) is obliged to break the fast, at least after drinking water. Today's fast is broken. There is no sin in this, this is the natural state of affairs. Her worship of the Lord of the worlds takes the form of non-fasting. It is forbidden for her to show piety by observing fasting during this period.
The days of fasting missed due to the beginning of the regular fasting days are made up in a row or in a breakdown after the month of Ramadan.
Women have certain days on which they do not fast. I make up the days I missed. But is it allowed to fast in advance, that is, in the month of Shaban, with the intention of making up for those days that will be missed in the month of Ramadan? Zarema.
No, only after the month of Ramadan.
Should I first make up the fast for Ramadan, and then fast 6 days in the month of Shawwal?
Many Muslim theologians have expressed an opinion about the admissibility of the following form of combination: a person intends to make up for the missed obligatory post for Ramadan, observing it exactly in the month of Shawwal for six days. Thus, the debt obligatory fast is replenished and the Divine reward for observing six days of fasting in the month of Shawwal is acquired.
Let me remind you the words of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him): “Whoever fasted [the whole] month of Ramadan, and then [at the end of the day of the holiday] fasted six days in the month of Shawwal, the Lord determined a reward equal to that credited by Him for fasting during century".
What should a woman do during fasting if she has menopause? Suhra.
See, for example: An-Nasai A. Sunan [Collection of Hadith]. Riyadh: al-Afkyar al-dawliya, 1999. S. 253, hadith no. 2318, "sahih".
See, for example: Ash-Shavkyani M. Neil al-avtar. In 8 vols. T. 1. S. 301; al-San‘ani M. Subul as-salam (tab‘a muhakkaka, muharraja) [Ways of the world (re-checked edition, with clarification of the authenticity of the hadiths)]. In 4 volumes. Beirut: al-Fikr, 1998. V. 1. S. 238; Mahmoud A. Fatawa [Fatwas]. In 2 vols. Cairo: al-Ma'arif, [b. G.]. S. 58.
Hadith from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri; St. X. al-Bukhari and Muslim. See, for example: Al-Bukhari M. Sahih al-Bukhari. In 5 vols. T. 1. S. 115, hadith No. 304; al-‘Askalyani A. Fath al-bari bi sharh sahih al-bukhari [Discovery by the Creator (for a person in understanding the new) through comments on the set of hadiths of al-Bukhari]. In vol. 18 Beirut: al-Kutub al-‘ilmiya, 2000. Vol. 2. S. 534, hadith no. 304; ash-Shawkyani M. Neil al-avtar. In 8 vols. T. 1. S. 300, hadith No. 384; as-San'ani M. Subul as-salam (tab'a muhakkaka, muharraja). T. 1. S. 237, hadith No. 9/134.
Below is a translation of the answer to the question from the site of Sheikh Al-Munajid http://islamqa.com.
Question:
What should I do if my period ended in the afternoon, and since last night I have not made the intention to fast during the day? Am I allowed to fast in such a situation or not?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah!
First. According to the unanimous opinion of scientists, a woman during menstruation and during postpartum cleansing cannot fast.
The Encyclopedia of Fiqh (18/318) states: “Muslim jurists are unanimous that it is forbidden for a woman to fast during menstruation, whether it is an obligatory fast or a voluntary fast, and that it is invalid for her.
In a hadith narrated from Abu Sa'id, it is said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Does not she (a woman) leave prayer and fast during her period?” They answered: "Yes." He said, "That is the defect in her religion."
And if a woman sees blood during the day, then her fast is spoiled. Ibn Jarir, al-Nawawi and others reported that there is unanimity (ijma) among scholars on this issue ... They are also unanimous that a woman should make up for the missed fast of the month of Ramadan in this way. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated: “This happened to us and we were ordered to make up for the missed fast and were not ordered to make up for the missed prayers.” At-Tirmidhi, ibn Munzir, ibn Jarir and others reported that there is unanimity (ijma) among the scholars on this issue.
From this it becomes clear that such a woman’s fast on this day is invalid, and she must compensate for it after the end of the month of Ramadan.
However, the opinions of scholars are divided as to whether, in such a case, a woman should refuse food and drink as a sign of respect for this venerable month or not. More preferable is the opinion of the Malikis and Shafiites, according to which a woman in such a situation is not obliged to abstain from food and drink. This opinion was chosen by Sheikh ibn Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on him, in the book "Sharh ul-Mumtig" (6/344).
The Encyclopedia of Fiqh (18/318) states: “Among Muslim jurists, there is no disagreement that if a woman’s period ended after the time of the morning prayer (fajr), then she is not allowed to fast on this day and she must refund. And, according to the Hanafis and Hanbalis, she, in such a situation, should refrain from eating and drinking on this day. According to the Maliki, she is allowed to eat and drink and it is not desirable to abstain from food and water. The Shafi'is believe that she is not obligated to abstain from food and drink in such a situation."
Kirill Sysoev
Calloused hands do not know boredom!
Content
The ninth month of the Muslim calendar, Ramadan, is one of the four holy months of the year. Men and women at this time hold a strict fast of Uraz, which is one of the main pillars of Islam. The main specificity of this fasting is that the quantitative composition of food is not regulated - everything is allowed to eat, and only the time of eating plays an important role. Let's figure out how to properly hold Uraza for a woman so that long-term abstinence benefits the body. After all, in addition to spiritual purification, Muslims fast to improve the body.
Why keep Uraza in the month of Ramadan
Fasting in Uraza contributes to the expiation of sins that were committed during the year. Ramadan is 30 or 29 days (depending on the lunar month) of strict fasting. During this period, Muslims should set aside time for donations, almsgiving, reflection, contemplation and all sorts of good deeds. However, the main task of every believer is not to drink water and not eat food from dawn to dusk. Unlike the Orthodox fast (Assumption or Great), in which it is forbidden to eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, during Uraza it is allowed to eat any food in moderation.
The main activity of Muslims in Ramadan is prayer. Before sunrise, each believer makes a niyat (intention) to observe Uraza, and then eats 30 minutes before dawn and prays. Namaz during the holy month are held in mosques, where Muslims come with their children or at home with relatives and neighbors. If a believer in the month of Ramadan is in other latitudes, then, according to the Hanafi madhhab (teaching), he reads the obligatory morning prayer according to Meccan time.
How to hold Uraza for a woman
During Uraza, Muslim women, like men, are prohibited from intimate life during daylight hours, and some especially believers prefer complete abstinence from sexual contact throughout the entire thirty-day fast. Traditionally, after sunset, believers gather in large families to eat dishes after a day's fast. Women prepare meals during the daytime, so they are allowed to taste the food while it is being prepared. Men are strictly forbidden.
How to eat properly
In the first days of Ramadan, you have to starve for about 20 hours, so imams (Muslim priests) advise eating foods with a lot of fiber: oats, millet, barley, lentils, unpolished rice, wholemeal flour, millet, legumes. The morning menu of a Muslim woman must necessarily consist of fruits, berries, vegetables, meat, fish, bread and dairy products.
It is better not to complicate your Ramadan menu with culinary delights, but to give preference to light salads seasoned with yogurt or vegetable oil. Such food does not irritate the stomach, improving digestion. To make fasting easier, broths made from lean beef, chicken, lean fish, or vegetables are helpful. In Ramadan, women should refrain from fried foods, completely replacing them with steamed or stewed foods. In the process of cooking, you need to dose the following products that stimulate the production of hydrochloric acid, which irritates the walls of the stomach:
- spices;
- garlic;
- caraway;
- cilantro;
- mustard.
For dinner, Muslims are advised to cook low-calorie meals and not get too carried away with meat. During the day during Uraza it is forbidden to drink water, but after sunset it is advisable to drink from 2 to 3 liters of water to replenish the water balance. Nutritionists, while observing Uraza, urge to exclude carbonated drinks, replacing them with natural juices, mineral water, herbal teas.
Prayer
The obligatory prayer for all Muslims who hold Uraza is the Tarawih prayer. Its time comes after the night prayer of Isha and ends shortly before the appearance of dawn. Namaz Tarawih is better to read together with other believers, but if this is not possible, then it is permissible to read the prayer individually. In general, Islam is a religion that welcomed the attendance of collective prayers, and the mosque promotes communication when joint prayers are performed that praise Allah and the Prophet Muhammad while reading the Koran.
What not to do - prohibitions
Prohibitions during the period of Uraza are divided into strict and undesirable. Strict prohibitions are classified as actions that break the fast, and require mandatory compensation for one day of Ramadan 60 days of continuous fasting at any other time. These include: intentional eating, vomiting, and sexual intercourse. Also, during Uraza, you can not take potions, capsules, tablets, make injections, drink alcohol and smoke. Undesirable actions in Ramadan that require only replenishment (1 day of fasting for one violation) include:
- Eating out of forgetfulness.
- Involuntary vomiting.
- Swallowing something that is not medicine or food.
- Touching the husband, kisses that do not lead to sexual intercourse.
At what age do girls start fasting?
The girl begins to keep the post from her adulthood. A Muslim child reaches puberty when he reaches 15 years of age. Girls are allowed to fast even earlier if menstruation has come or if they have their own desire. If all of the above signs are absent, then according to Muslim customs, the girl should not fast.
It is difficult now to overestimate the importance of a 30-day fast for human health. Even science has proven that when starving, the human body is cleansed of excess weight, salts, bile, under-oxidized metabolic products, breathing normalizes. The experience of centuries shows that Uraza is the most effective method to get rid of various chronic diseases: allergies, gallstones, osteochondrosis and migraine. During fasting, defense mechanisms are increased, the immune system is stimulated, and the aging process is delayed.
Beginners need to know that all sorts of excesses are excluded this month, and there are special rules for eating and drinking. Immediately after sunset, the fasting person eats only light food, and a couple of hours before dawn - solid food. Such food is considered pleasing to God, therefore it serves the forgiveness of sins. At the evening meal, it is desirable that a mullah or a person who knows the Koran well be present, he will read suras and talk about the deeds of the Lord. Secular conversations are not prohibited during the evening conversation.
Can pregnant and lactating women fast?
Women in the postpartum period or during menstruation do not observe Uraza - this is confirmed by the relevant Sunnahs. As for pregnant and lactating mothers, they can completely or selectively refuse fasting at their discretion, especially if they are afraid for their or their child's health. As for making up for the missed fast, the woman makes such a decision on her own.
Without full ablution
Sometimes, for some independent reason, a woman does not have a full ablution, and fasting has already begun. For example, menstruation ended at night, or marital intimacy took place, or spouses overslept the morning meal. This should not bother a woman in any way, because complete ablution and observance of Uraza are in no way interconnected with each other. Ritual purity is needed only for prayer.
When do menses come
According to the rules of Islam, during menstruation, Uraza must be interrupted in any case, regardless of marital status and age. Prayer prayers are not performed either, since a woman does not have ritual purity. According to the rules, the missed days of fasting at the end of Ramadan must be made up one by one in a row or in a breakdown at the discretion of the Muslim woman. But the woman does not make up for the missed prayers.
What to do if it's hard to keep Uraza in the heat
When the month of Ramadan falls in the summer heat, it is very difficult for Muslims to keep Uraza, because thirst increases on hot days, and refusal of water can negatively affect human health. Moreover, during a 30-day fast, it is forbidden not only to drink, but even to rinse your mouth, because drops of water can get into the stomach. In this case, Islam gives some relief for pregnant women, children, travelers, the elderly and seriously ill people.
Fasting one day or intermittently every other day
If a Muslim woman has serious illnesses, for example, diabetes mellitus, pancreatitis and others, then she can keep Uraza not every day, but every other day. Fasting is not so much abstinence from food and water, but the promotion of spiritual growth, the purification of thoughts. But if a woman can keep Uraza with such diseases, then she should eat fresh raw vegetables, fruits, nuts, do not overeat, do not attack food at the Uraz-Bayram holiday, when Ramadan ends.
Video
When a woman holds Uraza for the first time, long before the onset of Ramadan, she needs to set herself up for the fact that this is not a hunger strike, but a great joyful holiday, so that there is a feeling of a fun event. It should be remembered that the fasting person receives a reward, which in Ramadan multiplies all the good deeds of a person. And for violating Uraza without a good reason, a Muslim woman will have to pay a certain amount to the needy and make up for the missed day with any day of fasting. See in the video tips for women starting to hold Uraza:
Fasting for Muslim women and men in 2019
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, the date of which changes every year. In 2019, Muslims begin to hold it on May 16, and on June 15, Muslim men and women around the world celebrate the greatest holiday of Eid al-Fitr. On this day, they give alms, remember relatives and friends, visit the graves of deceased relatives.
Schedule
The time of the predawn meal (suhoor) ends before the onset of the morning prayer (Fajr) 10 minutes in advance. At the end of the evening prayer (Maghrib), one should break the fast, preferably with water and dates, after pronouncing an appeal to Allah. The night prayer is Isha, after which 20 rak'ahs (cycles) of Tarawih prayer are performed for men, followed by Witr prayer.
Did you find an error in the text? Select it, press Ctrl + Enter and we'll fix it!Since many sisters have already begun to ask us questions regarding the specifics of fasting for women, we decided to devote a separate section to answering the most common questions women have about obligatory fasting.
Does a woman fast during haida and nifaas (menstrual and postpartum bleeding)?
No, this is not allowed. If a woman fasts during such conditions, she will be in sin.
Should a woman make up the days of fasting missed for such reasons?
Yes, in a hadith narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) it is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that women do not need to make up prayers missed during menstruation, but they need to make up fasts missed for this reason (And 'lyaus-Sunan, vol. 1, p. 372).
I don't want to break my fast because of my period. Is it possible to take special hormonal preparations that delay the onset of the monthly cycle in order to fast the entire Ramadan in a row, without a break?
This is acceptable, but considered undesirable. Taking these medications can have side effects such as cycle shifts, which can lead to problems with prayer (or Hajj and Umrah) in the future. Moreover, these drugs are not harmless from a medical point of view.
I would like to clarify the issue of fasting for pregnant and lactating women. Can they postpone fasting for another time if they feel it will harm their health?
Pregnant and lactating women should consult a trusted doctor (preferably a Muslim) to see if fasting will harm them and their baby. It must be borne in mind that if a woman keeps a fast in such a state, and later it turns out that her health or the health of a child has deteriorated from fasting, she will be in sin.
Is it possible to breastfeed a child during fasting?
Yes, it is allowed, breastfeeding does not affect the validity of the fast. However, see above - you need to try so that this does not damage the condition of the woman or child.
Can a woman visit a gynecologist or use drugs that are administered through intimate organs (candles and the like)?
Traditionally, Islamic scholars believed that the introduction of medicines or an instrument soaked in medicine into the private parts breaks the fast, as the genitals were believed to be connected to the digestive system. However, since modern medicine has established that there is no such connection between these organs, Islamic scholars have decided that visiting a doctor or injecting drugs into intimate organs does not break fasting.
If a woman gets her period while fasting, can she eat? Or vice versa, what should she do if her period stops during the day of fasting? Would her post be valid in that case?
If she begins her period during fasting, she can eat, but you should try to do it in such a way that fasting people do not see it. She will need to make up this day of fasting after Ramadan (even if her period began a few minutes before iftar).
Generally, considered undesirable (makruh) to be seen by those who are fasting, even to those people who do not fast for some good reason (pregnant women, women during haida, travelers).
If a woman, on the contrary, runs out of her period during daylight hours (when fasting is obligatory), she should fast until the end of the day out of respect for Ramadan, although this day will still need to be replenished after.
Is it possible for a woman making a trip to postpone the fast for another time?
According to the Hanafi madhhab, the reduction of 4 rak'ah prayers to two rak'ahs, as well as the ability to postpone the fast for another time if it is difficult to keep it on the road, applies to all travelers without exception, regardless of whether this journey is permitted or forbidden.
So a woman who goes out on Safar can postpone the fast for another time if it is difficult for her to keep it on the road.
A woman prepares food for her family during fasting, can she taste food, for example, for salt?
This is permissible if the woman prepares the food and there is no one who can taste it except herself (this can be done, for example, by a woman who does not fast because she is in a state of haida). A woman is allowed to chew food, then to give it to a child.
If a woman has a husband who is very picky about food and has a difficult temper, it is not makrooh for her to taste the food to see if there is enough salt. Unless the husband has a bad temper and is not picky about food, you should not taste what you cook.
Muslima (Anya) Kobulova
Based on materials from the Jamiatul Ulama website and the book "Fasting on the Hanafi madhhab"