Does a Menstruating Female Traveller Pray Full Salāh or Qasr?

 31st December 2021

 

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Question: A menstruating woman travels to a destination of more than 48 miles and intends to stay there for less than 15 days. She will be staying for 10 days only and during that time she will become clean from her periods. She will return home after 3-4 days since her purity. Must she shorten her Salāh as Qasr or pray the full Salāh for those remaining days before returning home?

 

الجواب حامداً و مصلياً

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

The case in question is quite complex as the Hanafi scholars have differed regarding this issue. The current position we adopt is that the menstruating woman in the aforesaid case must pray Qasr after becoming clean, the reason for which will be discussed below. However, we will first explore the reason for the differences between the Hanafi scholars so to remove any potential confusion on this matter. A simple rule to understand is that in the Shariah, a person becomes a Shar’ee traveller if they make the intention of travelling more than 48 miles and staying at their destination for less than 15 days. Such intention must be deemed valid otherwise they will not be considered a Shar’ee traveller and the concessions of travelling will not apply. There are overall two opinions regarding your issue;

 

1) A menstruating woman in question must read the full Salāh after becoming clean and cannot read Qasr. This is the main stream view of the Hanafi scholars including Ibn Abideen Shami rahimahullah, Allama Badruddeen al-Ayni rahimahullah, Shaykh Ashraf Ali Thanvi rahimahullah, Mufti Rasheed Ahmad Ludhyanvi rahimahullah and Mufti Mahmood al-Hasan Gangohi rahimahullah.[1] Ibn Abideen Shami rahimahullah clarifies this rulings by stating that if a woman starts her journey whilst she is menstruating and then upon reaching her destination, she becomes clean or she travels for three days (in the earlier times they would measure distances by days so three days journey was the safr distance) and becomes clean for the rest of the two days journey then she must read the full Salāh and not Qasr. This is because as he states that nothing of her intention counts during her menses period.[2]

 

2) The second position is that a menstruating woman who intends a journey of 48 Shar’ee miles will be considered a Shar’ee traveller and will read Qasr upon becoming pure on her journey (or at her destination of less than 15 days).[3] This is a minority opinion but arguably the most convenient position as well. Amongst those who maintain this view include Allamah Shurunbulali rahimahullah and Burhan al-Din Ibn Mazah rahimahullah.

 

The reason for the underlying differences between the scholars is based on whether her intention is considered valid or not during her menses. The classical position is that a menstruating woman’s intention is not valid because Salāh is not obligatory on her so she is not a Shar’ee traveller. They equate her intention with a minor child as an analogy whose intention is not considered valid. For instance, if a child travels 48 miles from his home and during the journey reaches puberty then he must read the full Salāh because he did not have a valid intention in the first place. Similarly with a menstruating woman. This is different from a non-Muslim adult who started his journey of more than 48 miles and during this journey he accepts Islām, then he will pray Qasr. This is because a non-Muslim adult’s intention is considered to be valid and hence becomes a Shar’ee traveller.[4]

 

The scholars of the second position disagree with equating a menstruating woman’s intention to that of a minor child’s inability of intention but instead equate her to a non-Muslim adult’s intention before Islām. The difference between the two is that a child is not fully mukallaf and mukhatab (responsible and addressed to comply with rules of the Shariah and Allāh’s laws) due to their minor age whereas a menstruating woman is legally responsible in certain aspect of the Shariah (like for instance committing a crime etc). They argue that a non-Muslim adult not being able to pray due to his disbelief does not invalidate his intention. Likewise, a menstruating woman not being able to pray due to impurity does not necessarily invalidate her intention of travelling either.[5] One can also argue that a minor child and a menstruating woman are not analogous in intention because a menstruating woman is balighah whereas as a minor child is not, so their respective rulings will be different.

 

Some have also argued that travelling itself is not an act of worship so their intentions are not the same as that of Ibadah. In Ibadah, a menstruating woman’s intention is invalid due to impurity, but not the intention of travelling itself as purity is not essential for that. The classical jurists of the first opinion have refuted the reasoning of the this second position stating that a menstruating woman cannot be equated to a non-Muslim traveller. For a non-Muslim, his kufr is a major impediment which is his voluntary action and can be removed through his Islām whereas menstruation is involuntary that cannot be removed at her own accord.[6] She is therefore similar to a minor child’s intention as his sexual maturity (bulugh) is involuntary.

 

One notices the complexity of the issue on the account of the different reasons postulated by the Hanafi jurists. Both opinions are correct in their own respect and are based on plausible reasons and analogies. However, due to convenience, we are more inclined towards the opinion that the menstruating woman in question must perform Qasr upon becoming pure from her menstruation during her travel. This is also the position of our senior teacher, Shaykh Mufti Shabbir Ahmed Patel Sahib.[7] If she chooses to adopt the first position as in to read the full Salāh as a precaution then she may do so. What is necessary is to remain consistent in following one position only and not to arbitrarily switch between positions.

 

 

[Allāh Knows Best]

 

 

 

Written by:  Apa Sajeda          Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed

Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam      

JKN Fatawa Department

 

 

[1] Allamah Badr al-Din al-Ayni, Al Binayah Sharhul Hidaya, Kitabus Salah, Vol 3, Pg 279

ولو طهرت الحائض في السفر، وبينهما وبين المقصد أقل من مسيرة سفر تتم، هو الصحيح

 

Mufti Mahmood Ganghohi, Fatwa Mahmoodiya, Kitaab Al Salah, Baab al salatul Musafir, Vol 7, Pg 502

حالت سفر میں حیض اور بہشتی زیور کی عبارت کی وضاحت

 

Shaikh Rasheed Ahmad Al Ludhyanvi, Ahsanul Fatawa, Kitaab Al Salah, Baab al salatul Musafir Vol 4, Pg 87

عورت سفر  میں وطن کے قریب جاکر  پاک ہوئی تو پوری نماز پڑھے

[2] Durrul Mukhtār wa hashiyah Ibn Ābideen Shāmi, Kitābul Salaah, Bāb Ma Yufsidu Alsalaah…, vol 2 p. 135

طَهُرَتْ الْحَائِضُ وَبَقِيَ لِمَقْصِدِهَا يَوْمَانِ تُتِمُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ كَصَبِيٍّ بَلَغَ بِخِلَافِ كَافِرٍ أَسْلَمَ.

(قَوْلُهُ تُتِمُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ) كَذَا فِي الظَّهِيرِيَّةِ. قَالَ ط وَكَأَنَّهُ لِسُقُوطِ الصَّلَاةِ عَنْهَا فِيمَا مَضَى لَمْ يُعْتَبَرْ حُكْمُ السَّفَرِ فِيهِ فَلَمَّا تَأَهَّلَتْ لِلْأَدَاءِ اُعْتُبِرَ مِنْ وَقْتِهِ.

(قَوْلُهُ كَصَبِيٍّ بَلَغَ) أَيْ فِي أَثْنَاءِ الطَّرِيقِ وَقَدْ بَقِيَ لِمَقْصِدِهِ أَقَلُّ مِنْ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ فَإِنَّهُ يُتِمُّ وَلَا يُعْتَبَرُ مَا مَضَى لِعَدَمِ تَكْلِيفِهِ فِيهِ ط (قَوْلُهُ بِخِلَافِ كَافِرٍ أَسْلَمَ) أَيْ فَإِنَّهُ يَقْصُرُ

قَالَ فِي الدُّرَرِ لِأَنَّ نِيَّتَهُ مُعْتَبَرَةٌ فَكَانَ مُسَافِرًا مِنْ الْأَوَّلِ بِخِلَافِ الصَّبِيِّ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَقْتِ يَكُونُ مُسَافِرًا، وَقِيلَ يُتِمَّانِ، وَقِيلَ يَقْصُرَانِ. اهـ. وَالْمُخْتَارُ الْأَوَّلُ كَمَا فِي الْبَحْرِ وَغَيْرِهِ عَنْ الْخُلَاصَةِ.

قَالَ فِي الشُّرُنْبُلَالِيَّةِ: وَلَا يَخْفَى أَنَّ الْحَائِضَ لَا تَنْزِلُ عَنْ رُتْبَةِ الَّذِي أَسْلَمَ فَكَانَ حَقُّهَا الْقَصْرَ مِثْلَهُ. اهـ.

وَأَجَابَ فِي نَهْجِ النَّجَاةِ بِأَنَّ مَانِعَهَا سَمَاوِيٌّ بِخِلَافِهِ اهـ أَيْ وَإِنْ كَانَ كُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا مِنْ أَهْلِ النِّيَّةِ بِخِلَافِ الصَّبِيِّ، لَكِنْ مَنَعَهَا مِنْ الصَّلَاةِ مَا لَيْسَ بِصُنْعِهَا فَلَغَتْ نِيَّتُهَا مِنْ الْأَوَّلِ، بِخِلَافِ الْكَافِرِ فَإِنَّهُ قَادِرٌ عَلَى إزَالَةِ الْمَانِعِ مِنْ الِابْتِدَاءِ فَصَحَّتْ نِيَّتُهُ

 

As a side note, if a menstruating woman becomes pure during her journey and the remaining distance between her and her destination since her purity is more than 48 miles then she will read Qasr according to everyone.

 

[3] Imam Abu’l Ikhlas, Al-Shurunbulali, Hashiya al-Durar, Kitabul Salah, Baabul Musafir, Vol 1, Pg 132

وَلَا يَخْفَى أَنَّ الْحَائِضَ لَا تَنْزِلُ عَنْ رُتْبَةِ الَّذِي أَسْلَمَ فَكَانَ حَقُّهَا الْقَصْرَ مِثْلَهُ.

 

Burhan al din Ibn Mazah, Al Muhit Al Burhani, Kitabul Salah, Vol 2, Pg 40

والرابعة: الحائض إذا طهرت في هذا الوقت.

والخامسة: الطاهرة إذا حاضت في هذا الوقت، وإذا كان مسافرا في أول الوقت، وصلى صلاة السفر ثم أقام في الوقت لا يتغير فرضه، وإن لم يصل حتى أقام في آخر الوقت ينقلب فرضه أربعا، وإن لم يبق من الوقت إلا قدر ما يسع بعض الصلاة.

وإذا أسلم الكافر في سفره وبينه وبين المقصد أقل من ثلاثة أيام أو إذا أدرك الصبي (٩٧أ١) في سفره وبينه وبين المقصد أقل من ثلاثة أيام، فقد اختلف المشايخ فيه بعضهم قالوا: الذي أسلم يصلي ركعتين فالذي بلغ يصلي أربعا وقال بعضهم: يصليان ركعتين.

وفي «متفرقات الفقيه أبي جعفر» : فإنهما يصليان أربعا؛ لأنهما لم يكونا مخاطبين؛

فلا يقصران الصلاة، وأما الحائض إذا طهرت في بعض الطريق قصرت الصلاة؛ لأنها مخاطبة.

وفي «الحاوي» : سئل عن صبي خرج من نوركارايريد بخارى، فلما بلغ كرمة بلغ، قال: يصلي ركعتين إلى بخارى، وكذلك الكافر إذا أسلم فأما الحائض إذا طهرت من حيضها تصلي أربعا إلى بخارى.

 

[4] Durrul Mukhtār wa hashiyah Ibn Ābideen Shāmi, Kitābul Salaah, Bāb Ma Yufsidu Alsalaah…, vol 2 p. 135

 

[5] Burhan al din Ibn Mazah, Al Muhit Al Burhani, Kitabul Salah, Vol 2, Pg 40

 

[6] Durrul Mukhtār wa hashiyah Ibn Ābideen Shāmi, Kitābul Salaah, Bāb Ma Yufsidu Alsalaah…, vol 2 p. 135

[7] See  Menstruating woman travelling and Salāh, (2019) Fatwa: https://islamicportal.co.uk/menstruating-women-travelling-and-salah/ [accessed 31st December 2021]