Istihadha

One type of blood which is seen by women is called istihadha and a woman in that state is called mustahadha. 

- Istihadha is usually yellowish and cold and is emitted without gush or irritation and is also not thick. It is, however, possible that at times the colour of the blood may be red or dark, and it may also be warm and thick and may be issued with gush and irritation. 

- There are three kinds of istihadha viz. slight (Qalila), medium (Mutawaassita) and excessive (Kathira). Explanation is given below:

Little blood (Qalila): If the blood remains on the surface of the wool or pad etc., (placed by a woman on her private part) but does not penetrate into it, the istihadha is called qalila.

Medium blood (Mutawassita): If the blood penetrates into the cotton (or pad etc.), even partially, but does not soak the cloth tied on the outer side, the istihadha is called mutawassita.

Excessive blood (Kathira): If the blood penetrates through the cotton, soaking it and the cloth (etc.) around it, the istihadha is called kathira.

Rules of Istihadha

- In the case of little istihadha the woman should perform separate Wudhu for every prayer and should, as a recommended precaution, wash or change the pad. And if some blood is found on the outer part of her private parts she should make it clean with water. 

- In the case of Mutawassita, it is an obligatory precaution for a woman to make one Ghusl every day for her daily prayers, and she should act accordingly to the rules of little Istihadha  as explained in the foregoing rule. If the state of Istihadha began before or just at the time of Fajr prayers, she should do Ghusl before offering Fajr prayers. 
If she does not do Ghusl intentionally or forgetfully, she should do Ghusl before Zuhr and Asr prayers. And if she misses even that, then she should do Ghusl before praying Maghrib and Isha. This is what she would do regardless of whether bleeding continues or it stops. 

- In the case of excessive bleeding the woman should change, as an obligatory precaution, the cotton or pad inserted to her private parts or make it clean with water. It is also necessary that she should do one Ghusl for Fajr prayers, one for Zuhr and Asr prayers and once again for Maghrib and Isha prayers.

She should offer Asr prayers immediately after Zuhr prayers and if she allowed any lapse of time between them, she should do Ghusl again for Asr prayers. Similarly if she keeps any time gap between Maghrib and Isha prayers, she should do Ghusl again for Isha prayers. 

All these rules apply when bleeding is so excessive that it continues soiling the pad etc. But if it takes longer to soil the cotton or pad, and a woman has enough time to pray one or more prayers in between, then, as per obligatory precaution, she would change the pad or wash it to make it clean and then do Ghusl only when the cloth covering the pad or cotton is fully soaked. 

For example, if a woman praying Zuhr finds out that the cloth is fully soaked again before the prayer of Asr, she would do Ghusl for Asr prayers. And if she finds out that the flow of blood is slow enough to allow two or more prayers to be offered before the cotton or cloth is totally soiled with blood, there will be no need for Ghusl before the ensuing prayer.

For example, if she finds that there is enough time to offer even Maghrib and Isha prayers, before the cloth is fully soaked, she would pray Maghrib and Isha without Ghusl. In every case, the Ghusl in excessive Istihadha does not require Wudhu after it. 

- If istihadha blood is seen before the time for prayers has set in, and the woman has not performed Wudhu or Ghusl for that bleeding, she should perform Wudhu or Ghusl at the time of the prayer, even though she may not be mustahadha at that time. 

- A woman whose Istihadha is medium should first do Ghusl and then Wudhu, as per obligatory precaution. But if a woman with excessive Istihadha wishes to do Wudhu, she should do so before the Ghusl. 

- When a woman who had little Istihadha  finds out after Fajr prayers that her Istihadha  has developed into medium one, she will have to do Ghusl for Zuhr and Asr prayers. And if that change occurs after Zuhr, Asr prayers, then she will do a Ghusl for Maghrib and Isha prayers. 

- If a woman finds out after Fajr prayers that her little or medium Istihadha had developed into an excessive one, and remained in that state, then she should follow the directives given in the previous rule in respect of Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha prayers. 

- As explained in the previous rule, a woman in excessive Istihadha must ensure that there is no time gap between Ghusl and the prayers. Therefore, if such a gap occurs because of doing Ghusl earlier, then that Ghusl will be void, and the woman will have to do Ghusl again. This rule applies to those also who are in medium Istihadha. 

- Apart from the rules pertaining to the daily prayers which have been explained earlier, a woman in little and medium Istihadha must do Wudhu for all other prayers, Wajib or Mustahab. But if she desires to repeat, as a precautionary measure, the daily prayers which she has already offered or if she wishes to offer once again with congregation the prayers which she had offered individually, she should perform all the acts which have been mentioned with regard to Istihadha. 
In the case of Namaz of Ihtiyat, "forgotten sajdahs", "forgotten tashahud" which are performed immediately after the prayers it is not necessary for her to follow the rules of Istihadha. Similarly, no rules of Istihadha will apply for performing Sajda-e-Sahv at any time. 

- After the bleeding of a mustahadha woman has stopped, she should follow the rules of istihadha only for the first subsequent prayers which she may offer. For further prayers which follow, the rules of Istihadha would not be necessary. 

- If a woman does not know what kind of Istihadha she has, she should insert into herself some cotton and wait a while to ascertain. And when she knows which kind of Istihadha it is she would follow the rules prescribed. And, if she is sure that the type of Istihadha will not change by the time she stands for her prayers she may carry out the test before the time for prayers sets in. 

- If a mustahadha woman starts her prayers without making any investigation, but her intention is to obey the orders of Allah and act according to her duty then her prayers are valid. For example, if her Istihadha was little, and she acted according to its rules, her prayers will be correct and valid.

But if she did not have the intention of obeying Allah or following the rules, her prayers would be invalid. For example, she followed the rules of little Istihadha while in actual fact she was in the medium one, her prayers would be invalid. 

- If a mustahadha woman cannot discern about her Istihadha she should act according to the minimum certitude. For example, if she does not know whether her Istihadha is little or medium she should follow the rules which are prescribed for little Istihadha. And if she does not know whether her Istihadha is medium or excessive she should perform the rules prescribed for the medium Istihadha. But, if she knows which of the three kinds of Istihadha she has had previously, then she should act according to the rules for that kind of Istihadha. 

- If at the time of its initial appearance the blood of istihadha remains within the interior of the body and does not come out, it does not nullify the Wudhu and Ghusl already performed by the woman. And if it comes out, it nullifies the Wudhu and Ghusl even if its quantity be very small. 

- If a mustahadha woman examines herself after Prayer and finds no blood, she can say other prayers with the same Wudhu, even if she knows that the blood would reappear. 

- If a mustahadha woman knows that since the time she has engaged herself with Wudhu or Ghusl blood has not come out of her body, she can defer offering prayers for as long as she knows she will remain in that pure state. 

- If a mustahadha woman knows that before the time for prayers comes to an end, she will become totally clean, or if she knows that at certain time, bleeding would stop for the time required for offering prayers she should wait and offer prayers when she is clean. 

- If a Mustahadha, after having done Wudhu and Ghusl, finds that the bleeding has ceased, and she feels that if she delays the prayers she will become fully clean, within the time required for Wudhu, Ghusl and Prayer, she should delay the prayers, and offer them after performing fresh Wudhu and Ghusl when she has become fully clean. 
But if time for prayers is limited, it will not be necessary for her to perform Wudhu and Ghusl. She should offer prayers with the Wudhu and Ghusl which she already has. 

- When a mustahadha woman whose bleeding has been excessive becomes fully clean, she should do Ghusl. However, if she knows that no blood was seen after having Ghusl for the previous prayers, it is not necessary for her to do Ghusl again. As for medium Istihadha, it is not necessary to do Ghusl after bleeding has stopped. 

- Mustahadha women, with little, medium or excessive bleeding, should commence their prayers immediately after having acted according to their respective rules, except in the situations described in previous rules. But to recite Adhan and Iqamah before Prayer or performing Mustahab acts like Qunut etc, will have no objection. 

- If a mustahadha woman who is required to allow no time gap between Wudhu or Ghusl and her prayers, does not act accordingly, she would make Wudhu or do Ghusl again and then pray without any delay. 

- If the blood of Istihadha has a swift flow and does not stop, and if stoppage of blood is not harmful to her, she should try to prevent the blood from coming out after Ghusl. And if she ignores doing so, and the blood comes out, she should offer prayers all over again if she had already prayed. Moreover, it is a recommended precaution that she repeats the Ghusl. 

- If blood does not stop at the time of Ghusl the bath is in order. But, if during the Ghusl the medium Istihadha becomes excessive it will be necessary for her to start Ghusl all over again. 

- For a Mustahadha woman who is fasting, it is a recommended precaution that she prevents the blood from issuing out of the body, throughout the day, as far as possible. 

- It is widely held that the fast of a woman whose Istihadha  is excessive will be valid only if in the night preceding the day on which she intends to fast she does Ghusl for the prayers of Maghrib and Isha, and also does Ghusl during day time which are obligatory for the daily prayers. 
But most likely, the validity of her fasting does not depend on the Ghusl. Similarly, the validity of a woman fasting during medium Istihadha does not depend on the Ghusl. 

- If a woman becomes mustahadha after Asr prayers and does not do Ghusl till sunset her fast will undoubtedly be in order. 

- If a woman in little Istihadha finds out before starting the prayers that her bleeding has become excessive or medium, she should perform the rules prescribed for medium or excessive Istihadha as mentioned above. And if the medium Istihadha becomes excessive she should follow the rules prescribed for excessive Istihadha. And in case she has done Ghusl for medium Istihadha it would not suffice, and she should do Ghusl again for excessive Istihadha. 

- If the medium Istihadha becomes excessive while she is already in Prayer, she should break the prayers and do Ghusl for excessive Istihadha and also perform other relevant acts and repeat the same prayers. And on the basis of recommended precaution she should perform Wudhu before Ghusl. And if she does not have time for Ghusl it is necessary that she should perform tayammum instead of Ghusl. 
And if she finds that no time is left even for tayammum then she should, on the basis of precaution, not break the prayers and complete the same in that very condition. It will be necessary for her to offer Qadha later. Similar rules will apply if during the Prayer her little Istihadha becomes medium or excessive, she will have to discontinue her Prayer and follow the rules of medium or excessive Istihadha, whichever be applicable. 

- If the blood stops during Prayer and the mustahadha woman does not know whether or not it has also stopped internally, and if after her prayers she understands that bleeding had totally stopped, and she has sufficient time at her disposal to offer prayers again in the state of purity, it will be an obligatory precaution for her to act according to the rules applicable to her and pray again. 

- If the excessive Istihadha reduces to medium Istihadha, the Mustahadha should perform the rules prescribed for excessive Istihadha for the first prayers and then medium Istihadha for the later prayers. For example, if excessive Istihadha becomes medium before Zuhr prayers she should perform Wudhu and do Ghusl for Zuhr prayers; and for the Asr, Maghrib and Isha prayers she should perform only Wudhu. 

However, if she does not do Ghusl for Zuhr prayers and has time for Asr prayers only she should do Ghusl for Asr prayers. And if she does not do Ghusl for even Asr prayers she should do Ghusl for Maghrib prayers. And if she does not do Ghusl for that prayers as well and has just enough time for Isha prayers only, she should do Ghusl for Isha prayers. 

- If the excessive Istihadha stops before every Prayer and starts coming again she should do Ghusl before each Prayer. 

- If the excessive Istihadha  reduces to little, the mustahadha should follow for the first prayers the rules prescribed for excessive Istihadha; and for the later prayers the rules prescribed for little Istihadha. Similarly, if the medium Istihadha becomes little she should follow rules prescribed for medium Istihadha for the first prayers and those prescribed for little Istihadha for the later prayers. 

- If a mustahadha woman neglects any one of the obligatory rules, her Prayer will be void. 

- If a woman who is in little or medium Istihadha wishes to engage in an act which requires Wudhu as a prerequisite, like touching the script of the Quran etc., she should make the Wudhu for the purpose. The Wudhu made specifically for Prayer would not be sufficient if she wishes to touch after the Prayer is over. 

- A mustahadha who has done her obligatory Ghusls can go into Masjid, pause for some time in it, and recite the verses of the Qur'an which contain obligatory Sajdah. It is also lawful for her husband to have sexual intercourse with her, though she may not have performed all the acts which are required before the prayers (e.g. changing the cotton and the pad). And it is not unlikely that these acts may be permissible even without Ghusl, but precaution is in avoiding them. 

- If a woman who is in the state of excessive or medium Istihadha wishes to recite, before the time of prayers, a verse of the Qur'an which contains an obligatory Sajdah or to enter a Masjid, she should, on the basis of recommended precaution, do Ghusl. And the same rule applies if her husband wishes to have sexual intercourse with her. 

- Salatul Ayat (due to solar or lunar eclipse etc.) is obligatory for a mustahadha woman and she should follow all the rules which have been explained in relation with the daily prayers. 

- When Prayer-e-Ayat becomes obligatory for a mustahadha woman at the time of daily prayers and she wishes to offer these two prayers one after the other she cannot, as per obligatory precaution, offer both of them with one Wudhu and one Ghusl. 

- If a mustahadha woman wishes to offer Qadha prayers she should follow the same rules as are applicable to the prayers offered within time. And as a precaution, she will not consider the acts performed for prayers within time as sufficient for Qadha prayers. 

- If a woman knows that the blood coming out of her body is not of a wound and cannot decide on it being the blood of hayz or nifas because of the absence of the properties defined by the Shariah, she should act according to the rules in respect of Istihadha . And if she doubts whether it is Istihadha or some other blood and it does not possess other signs she should, on the basis of obligatory precaution, follow the rules of Istihadha.