25th August 2025
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: I have an urgent question regarding the rules of haydh and I require a quick response as I need to know if I should be fasting, praying etc. I started my period on the 29th of March 2025. I finished my period on the 4th of April around Asr time. This was my normal period, and it followed my normal habits. My next period was due on 22nd of April but on the 6th of April, I took a contraceptive pill and one of the symptoms of these is irregular bleeding. So, I started bleeding on 11th of April but was an irregular bleeding and it continued until the 19th of April. So, since I have exceeded my 15 days of minimum purity, do I now classify this as a period even though I know it’s not my usual period? Please tell me if I should stop praying and fasting.
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to your query regarding whether you should classify the current bleeding of the 19th of April as a period and whether or not you should stop praying and fasting, this is how we will break it down:
29th March – 4th April 2025 (‘Asr time) – your normal period.
11th April – 19th April 2025 – Irregular bleeding.
We will apply some key principles of the Ḥanafī madhab in relation to your haydh: The minimum haydh is 3 days and 3 nights (72 hours) and the maximum haydh is 10 days and 10 nights (240 hours). The minimum period of purity (tuhr) between two periods is 15 full days. Any bleeding before 15 days is classed as istihādah (irregular bleeding) and not haydh.[i]
You became pure 4th April at ‘Asr time. From this point we will count 15 full days. That takes us to 19th April at ‘Asr. So, 4th April to 19th April = 15 days of purity completed.
The bleeding from 11th – 19th April (around the time of ‘Asr) you had not yet completed 15 full days of purity, therefore, this bleeding was istihādah and not haydh. During this period, you must pray, fast and make wudhū for each salāh time, even if your bleeding resembles period blood. On the 19th of April your 15th day (360 hours) of purity completes on your marked end time* around ‘Asr.
*Your marked end time (of purity) must be calculated as EXACTLY 15 full days from the last time you bled. This is 360 hours. So, for example, say your period finished 4th April 4:00pm (Asr time), so 15 full days of purity will be calculated until to 19th April at 4:00pm.
From the 19th of April, your marked end time, for example, 4:00pm – if you bled after this and it continued for at least 3 full days (72 hours) – it will be classed as a period. If it stops before 72 hours, this is istihādah (irregular bleeding) and you will be expected to fast and pray, making wudū for every salāh time. You would need to stop praying and fasting once you see blood on your marked time (after 4:00 pm, for example) on the 19th April. You will use your previous cycle habit of about 7 days to decide when to stop fasting and praying if you continue to experience irregular bleeding during this cycle.[ii]
[Allāh Knows Best]
Written by: Apa Zakiya Saeeda Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[i] Hāshiyah ibn ‘Ābidīn, Kitāb at-Tahārah,Bāb al-Hayd, Vol. 1, Page 283-284
(أَقَلُّهُ ثَلَاثَةٌ بِلَيَالِيِهَا) الثَّلَاثِ، فَالْإِضَافَةُ لِبَيَانِ الْعَدَدِ الْمُقَدَّرِ بِالسَّاعَاتِ الْفَلَكِيَّةِ لَا لِلِاخْتِصَاصِ، فَلَا يَلْزَمُ كَوْنُهَا لَيَالِيَ تِلْكَ الْأَيَّامِ؛ وَكَذَا قَوْلُهُ (وَأَكْثَرُهُ عَشْرَةٌ) بِعَشْرِ لَيَالٍ، كَذَا رَوَاهُ الدَّارَقُطْنِيّ وَغَيْرُهُ.
(وَأَقَلُّ الطُّهْرِ) بَيْنَ الْحَيْضَتَيْنِ أَوْ النِّفَاسِ وَالْحَيْضِ (خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا) وَلَيَالِيهَا إجْمَاعًا (وَلَا حَدَّ لِأَكْثَرِهِ) ، إنْ اسْتَغْرَقَ الْعُمُرَ (إلَّا عِنْدَ) الِاحْتِيَاجِ إلَى (نَصْبِ عَادَةٍ لَهَا إذَا اسْتَمَرَّ) بِهَا (الدَّمُ) فَيُحَدُّ لِأَجْلِ الْعِدَّةِ بِشَهْرَيْنِ بِهِ يُفْتَى،
[ii] Badā’i us Sanā’I, Kitāb at-Tahārah, Vol. 1, Page 41
(وَأَمَّا) صَاحِبَةُ الْعَادَّةِ فِي الْحَيْض إذَا كَانَتْ عَادَتُهَا عَشْرَةً فَزَادَ الدَّمُ عَلَيْهَا فَالزِّيَادَةُ اسْتِحَاضَةٌ، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ عَادَتُهَا خَمْسَةً فَالزِّيَادَةُ عَلَيْهَا حَيْضٌ مَعَهَا إلَى تَمَامِ الْعَشَرَةِ لِمَا ذَكَرْنَا فِي الْمُبْتَدَأَةِ بِالْحَيْضِ، وَإِنْ جَاوَزَ الْعَشَرَةَ فَعَادَتُهَا حَيْضٌ، وَمَا زَادَ عَلَيْهَا اسْتِحَاضَةٌ لِقَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – «الْمُسْتَحَاضَةُ تَدَعُ الصَّلَاةَ أَيَّامَ أَقْرَائِهَا» أَيْ: أَيَّامُ حَيْضِهَا، وَلِأَنَّ مَا رَأَتْ فِي أَيَّامِهَا حَيْضٌ بِيَقِينٍ، وَمَا زَادَ عَلَى الْعَشَرَةِ اسْتِحَاضَةٌ بِيَقِينٍ، وَمَا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ مُتَرَدِّدٌ بَيْنَ أَنْ يُلْحَقَ بِمَا قَبْلَهُ فَيَكُونُ حَيْضًا، فَلَا تُصَلِّي، وَبَيْنَ أَنْ يُلْحَقَ بِمَا بَعْدَهُ فَيَكُونُ اسْتِحَاضَةً فَتُصَلِّي، فَلَا تَتْرُكُ الصَّلَاةَ بِالشَّكِّ،