My father took his seat. He gave the title of Istihadha to today's dialogue. As soon as he did, I realized that we have mentioned this term before in past dialogues. I know it is a kind of bleeding that is related to woman.
I asked my father:
- Is Istihadha confined to women?
Yes, but…
- But what?
But provided that the bleeding is not menstrual blood, Nifas, wound, ulceration, or a result of losing the virginity.
- These are quite a number of different bleedings.
Some of them indicates woman's fertility and youth, Don't you notice that when a woman reaches the age of climacteric and the menstrual bleeding stops, she can not bear children.
- The bleeding of wounds, blister and Nifas is known usually. So how the woman knows that a particular bleeding is Istihadha and not menstrual blood?
Do you recall the descriptions of the menstrual blood?
- Yes, it is a red or dark colored blood that discharged with pressure and irritation.
Usually the descriptions of the blood of Istihadha are the opposite of those of the menstrual blood. It is yellowish in color, thin and discharges without burning or a sting.
- How could a woman distinguish between the Istihadha blood and the blood that result from loosing virginity if it was seen in her wedding day?
The blood that results from losing the virginity is little in amount and when tested by placing a peace of cotton inside, it takes a circular form like a cresent of blood where as the Istihadha blood could soak the cotton piece and sometimes exceeds that and appear to the outside.
- So the Istihadha blood soaks the cotton piece?
Yes, but it might not do that as Istihadha is of three types:
Major: This is when the blood soaks the cotton piece and exceeds that by appearing to the outside as I just said.
Medium: This is when the blood soaks the cotton piece but does not exceed it to the outside.
Minor: This is when the blood colors the cotton piece only as it is little.
- What are the rulings for each one of them?
For the major Istihadha, the woman should perform Ghusul three times a day, one for the morning prayers and one for the noon and afternoon prayers if performed consecutively and one for the sunset and evening prayers if performed consecutively as well.
- What if she decided to perform each one of them separately?
She should perform a Ghusul for each one of them. For the medium Istihadha, she should perform Wudu before each prayer plus perform a Ghusul once a day.
- Give me an example?
Before the Morning Prayer, she found out that she is in the state of Istihadha. Upon checking, she found out that she was in a medium one so she performs a Ghusul and pray the Morning Prayer without Wudu. This Ghusul is satisfactory to the rest of the prayers in that day but she must perform Wudu before each prayer. She must do the whole procedure again in the second day if the medium Istihadha continued. For the minor Istihadha, she must perform Wudu before each prayer she offers whether it is mandatory or recommended.
- You mentioned to me that the Istihdha blood tend to be yellowish. What if the discharged liquid was yellow but can not be described as blood?
If it was not blood then she must perform Ghusul before each prayer even if this yellow liquid was a lot.
- Does the Istihadha change from one type to another?
Yes, it may change, like when the minor one changes to a major one and when a major one changes to a medium one and so on …. Furthermore, there might be a time during Istihadha where no blood is being discharged.
- What if there was a time during the state of Istihadha without any bleeding?
If the said period is long enough for the woman to perform Ghusul or Wudu and the prayer, then she must wait for it and then perform one of them and pray.
- How does the woman know that the bleeding is stopped or the state of Istihadha changed from one type to another?
She knows that by checking by inserting the cotton piece. If it was clean then she has a clean period and if it was contaminated with blood then she must consider the degree of the Istihadha.
- When the cotton is contaminated with blood, must the woman change it before the prayer?
Yes, she should but if she was to join the between the prayers, then she does not need to change it for the second prayer. The woman during the state of Istihadha must protect herself from the discharge of blood whenever possible.
- She should perform the prayer as soon as she Ghusul or Wudu?
Yes.
- What is the ruling of Istihadha?
First: A woman during the state of Istihadha must perform Wudu after the bleeding stops if the Istihadha was minor and perform Ghusul if the Istihadha was medium or major.
Second: It is not permissible for the woman during the state of Istihadha to touch the writing of the Holy Quran.
Third: [It is not permissible for the woman during the state of Istihadha to enter the holy house of God in Mecca – the kaaba].
Fourth: Not all the prohibition that must be observed by the woman during menstruation must be observed by the woman during Istihadha. Sexual intercourse is not prohibited. Divorcing her while she is in the state of Istihadha is valid. She can also enter, stay in, take or put something in mosques. She can recite the verses of prostration – Sajjdah. It is better for her to do her mentioned obligation which is performing Ghusul or Wudu before entering mosques or reciting the verses of Sajjdah.
Fifth: A woman during the state of Istihadha – regardless of the type - can fast. Performing a Ghusul before the dawn of the fasting day is not a condition in the validation of the fasting.
