Praise be to Allah
There are three possible cases:
The first is that of a woman who had a known menstrual cycle before the onset of the abnormal bleeding. Such a woman refers to the duration of her normal cycle and applies the provisions governing the menstrual cycle during this period. Outside of this period, she should consider her situation to be abnormal and apply the appropriate provisions. For example, a woman who had a six-day menstrual cycle at the beginning of each month has continuous bleeding. This woman should consider that her cycle is always six days and that any further bleeding is out of cycle. This is based on a hadith of Aisha (P.A.a) according to which Fatimah bint Abi Habich said:
O Messenger of Allah! I am suffering from continuous bleeding. Should I give up praying?
-No, it is from a vein. Instead, stop praying for the duration of your normal cycle. Then take a bath and start praying again. (Reported by al-Bukhari). According to a hadith in the Sahih of Muslim, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Um Habibah: (Stay for the duration of your normal cycle and then take the ritual bath and then repeat the prayers. In this case, the woman who suffers from bleeding outside her cycle refers to the duration of her normal cycle and then takes a ritual bath and resumes her prayers, regardless of the bleeding that continues.
The second case is that of a woman who did not have a determined cycle before the onset of the continuous bleeding. That is, she has only experienced continuous bleeding. Such a woman should try to distinguish the color of the blood and consider any blood that is very dark and characterized by a particular odor as menstrual cycle, and consider anything else as continuous bleeding.
Here is an example: a woman notices her first bleeding. It continues. But for the first ten days it is black and then turns red for the rest of the month, or it appears dense for the first ten days and then becomes fluid for the rest of the month, or it has the smell of normal cycle blood for the first ten days and then becomes odorless for the rest of the month. In these cases, the normal cycle is the length of time that black blood appears in the first example or dense blood in the second example or blood with a particular odor in the third example. Everything else is bleeding outside of the cycle, considering the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to Fatimah bint Abi Abish: It is known that the blood of the cycle is black; when it appears, stop praying. When another blood appears, perform your ablutions and continue praying because it comes from a vein (Reported by Abu Dawud and by an-Nassai and considered authentic by Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim). It is true that the chain of reporters of this hadith is questionable. However, the ulama (may Allah have mercy on them) have applied it. This is preferable to the customary practice of most women.
The third case is that of a woman who does not know her cycle and cannot distinguish the colors of blood. She suffers from continuous and unchanging bleeding since the onset of her first period or from disturbed bleeding that is not part of the menstrual cycle. Such a woman follows the practice of her peers in such a case. She gives herself a cycle of six or seven days each month, counting from the first appearance of blood. Any bleeding outside of the cycle days should be considered abnormal.
For example, a woman’s first period occurs on the fifth day of the month. The period continues without the woman being able to distinguish the colors of the blood. The menstrual cycle of such a woman is six or seven days every month starting from the fifth day of the month. This is based on the hadith of Hamnatah bint Jahsh (p.a.a) in which she said:
-O Messenger of Allah! I am suffering from heavy bleeding which prevents me from praying and fasting; what do you think?
– I prescribe you to use absorbent cotton on your sex to absorb the blood.
– The bleeding is too strong! She said.
– It’s a stroke of Satan. Consider that you have a cycle of six or seven days known to Allah Most High. Then take a ritual bath so that you are completely clean and then do the twenty-four or twenty-three night and day prayers and fast (Hadith reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi who considered it authentic. It was reported that Ahmad considered it authentic. Al-Bukhari has judged it as good).
The words of the Prophet (peace be upon him): six or seven days do not imply the existence of a choice. It is an invitation to think about it. She should look for a woman who is physically similar to her and of the same age as her among her relatives (to compete with her). She must see what in the bleeding is closer to the blood of the menstrual cycle among other processes. If her condition is closer to that of the women who have a six-day cycle, she is assimilated to them. If its state is closer to those who have a seven-day cycle, it is assimilated to them. »
Epistle on Natural Female Bleeding by Sheikh Ibn Udaymin (May Allah have mercy on him).
When she believes that her bleeding is part of the menstrual cycle, it is so. When she thinks that the cycle is over, she is considered ritually clean. From then on, she should resume praying, fasting and having intercourse with her husband.
