I am pregnant and I experience menstruation. Can I perform the prayers in that state?

A Brief Description of the Question: 

I am pregnant and I experience menstruation. Can I perform the prayers in that state?

The Answer: 

According to medical data and to the majority of Islamic jurists, a pregnant woman does not experience menstruation. Therefore, if a pregnant woman experiences bleeding, she is responsible for performing her prayers and fasting as it cannot be the bleeding of menstruation. On condition that she takes ritual ablution as subject to the regulations of the mustahaza (excused), she can perform the prayers, handle the Qur'an, read (recite) it, and she can enter a mosque. 

As soon as the pregnant gives birth, she becomes nufasa (being in the state of recovery from childbirth). When bleeding stops and she takes ghusl (complete ablution of the body), she becomes subject to the normal regulations and fulfills her religious duties accordingly. (Orhan ÇEKER)

The blood of istihaza (excuse) does not prevent fasting, or performing the prayers. It does not pose hindrance against sexual intercourse, either. Women in the state of istihaza are accepted as excused. They perform their worships in compliance with the regulations to which the excused are subject. In the Era of Bliss, one day a woman came to Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, and asked:

“I continuously bleed; shall I stop performing prayers?” The Prophet said in response:
“No, it is because of an illness in the blood vessel, not menstruation. When your period comes, stop praying; when your period passes, take ghusl (complete ablution) and cleanse yourself, and after that perform your prayers by taking ritual ablution separately for each one of the five daily prayers. Continue doing it until menstruation period comes again.” That narration clearly shows that the state of istihaza is subject to the regulations belonging to the state of excuse.(Mehmet Dikmen)

ISTIHAZA

The blood that comes for less than three days or more than ten days from the sexual organ of a woman who experiences menstruation. The blood that comes during pregnancy and the blood that continues for more than forty days after childbirth is the blood of istihaza. Again, the blood that comes from the sexual organ of female children under the age of nine and the women who are older than fifty five years and who have stopped menstruation is accepted as the blood of excuse.

The blood of istihaza is like blood that is discharged from any organ of the body. With it, only ablution is annulled. If it continues, that person is accepted as excused. Such a woman takes ablution and performs the prayers and fasts. Such a situation does not pose an obstruction against worship and sexual intercourse between the spouses. If the istihaza blood continues for a complete time period of a prayer without stopping and without giving the opportunity to perform the prayer, and ifit recurs in each prayer time at least for once after that, then that person is accepted as excused. 

The excused takes ritual ablution at each prayer time (five times in a day). As long as no other state which annuls his/her ablution takes place, his/her ablution remains valid until the next prayer time starts. That the blood of excuse continues in the mean time does not annul the ablution, nor does it hinder worshipping. (ash-Shawkani, Naylul-Awtar, Egypt, n.d., I, 253, 321).

According to Abu Hanifa, the ablution of the excused is not annulled with the coming of a prayer time, but with its going. According to Abu Yusuf, the ablution of the excused is annulled with both the coming and the going of the prayer time. For example, the ablution taken after the sunrise, according to Abu Yusuf, is annulled with the coming of the noon prayer. (see the article Excuse)

According to Imam Shafii, the excused should take ablution for each prayer s/he performs; his/her ablution ends when the prayer s/he performs ends. 

In conclusion, as the blood of istihaza is discharged as a result of a disorder in the genital, that person is subject, in general, to the regulations by which the excused abide. (al-Qasani, Badayiu's-Sanayi', Beirut 1402/1982, I, 39 et al.; Ibnu'l-Humam, Fathu'l-Qadir, Egypt, 1389/1970, I, 179- 185; al-Fatawa'l Hindi,  Beirut 1400/1980, I, 37-41).

Şâmil İA

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