- Menstruation (Period)

What is menstruation?
1) After a female becoming a teenager, the blood that comes out from the vagina on a fixed time basis and is not due to childbirth or illness, is known as menstruation or period (Haiz). If the blood is due to illness then it is known as Istihaza, if it is due to childbirth then it is known as Nifas.

2) The time for menstruation is at least three days and three nights, meaning a full seventy two hours, if it is less by even a minute it is not menstruation, and the maximum is ten days and ten nights.

3) If the blood stops just less than seventy-two hours then it is not a period but Istihaza. However, if the period started from sunrise and finished on sunrise three days later, then this will be recognised as a period, otherwise any other starting time is measured as one day being twenty four hours [Bahar-e-Shariah].

4) If the blood came for more than ten days, then if this is the first instance that blood has come, then for the ten days it is menstruation and the rest it is Istihaza. If you have had a period before and the time was usually less than ten days, then whatever the time it used to come for is menstruation and the rest is Istihaza. For example, if the usual time for menstruation is five days and this time the blood has come for ten days then it is all recognised as menstruation and if it has come for twelve days, then the first five days is menstruation and the other seven is Istihaza. If there is not a regular pattern, meaning that sometimes the blood comes for four days sometimes for five, then whatever amount of days was the last period, this will be counted on this occasion.

5) It is not necessary that blood continues coming all the time, if it starts and stops for them days it is still recognised as menstruation. 

Age when menstruation begins

1) The age of the menstruation cycle beginning is at least nine and the finishing age is fifty-five. The female is known in this age is called 'Aa'is' and this age is called 'Sun'aayas' [Alamgiri].

2) If blood comes before the age of nine, then it is Istihaza. In the same way if blood comes after the age of fifty-five then it is also Istihaza. However, if blood comes regularly as it did before the age of fifty -five and is the same colour then it is menstruation.

3) If a pregnant woman has blood, then this is Istihaza. Also whilst having childbirth as long as the child has not come out more than half way then this is Istihaza.

4) There must be a gap of at least fifteen days between two periods and also between Nifas (childbirth blood) and a period there must be at least fifteen days gap. If a person finishes her Nifas and it has been less than fifteen days before blood appears, then this is not Haiz but Istihaza.

5) Menstruation will be recognised when blood comes out of the opening of the vagina. If a piece of cloth is stuck so that the blood does not come down but remains stuck inside, then until the cloth is removed it will not be recognised that the period has started, she will pray Salaah, keep Siyam.

Colour of menstruation
1 There are six colours of menstruation;
1) Black, 2. Red, 3.Green, 4. Yellow, 5.Brown 6.and clayey. The white discharge is not menstruation.

2) If there is the slightest dirtiness in white discharge within the ten days then this is menstruation. If their is dirtiness remaining in the white discharge after ten days then for a person who has a habit of five days, then the five days is menstruation and the rest is Istihaza if the total goes over ten days. If the person does not have a fixed time habit then upto the ten days is menstruation and anything over is Istihaza. 

3) If a woman never in all her lifetime had menstruation or was only ever less than three days and night then she will remain clean. If a woman only ever had menstruation for three days and night once and then never had bleeding then except for the one instance she is always clean.