Authored by: Imran Ayub Lahori
➊ It is narrated from ʿAdi bin Thabit from his father from his grandfather that the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said regarding the woman suffering from prolonged bleeding (istihadah):
“During the days she used to have menstruation, she should stop praying. Then she should perform ghusl and perform wudu for every prayer.”
[Sahih: Sahih Tirmidhi 109, Book of Purification: Chapter on the Mustahaḍah Performing Wudu for Every Prayer; Tirmidhi 126; Abu Dawood 297; Ibn Majah 625; Darimi 1/202]
➋ The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said to Sayyidah Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh رضی اللہ عنہا:
“After the days of menstruation are over, perform ghusl and then perform wudu for every prayer, then offer prayer.”
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood 287, Book of Purification: Chapter on One Who Says She Should Perform Ghusl from One Clean State to the Next; Abu Dawood 298; Ahmad 6/42; Ibn Majah 624; Nasa’i 1/185]
Imam Shawkani رحمہ اللہ said:
“These ahadith prove that for the mustahadah woman, wudu is obligatory for every prayer, while ghusl is only obligatory once at the end of the menstruation period.”
[Nayl al-Awtar 1/404]
(Maliki Madhhab) It is recommended (mustahab) for the mustahadah woman to perform wudu for each prayer and to perform ghusl at the end of her istihadah period.
[Bidayat al-Mujtahid 1/57; al-Qawanin al-Fiqhiyyah, p. 26-41]
(Jumhoor, Shafiʿiyyah, Hanabilah, Hanafiyyah) They say it is obligatory for the mustahadah woman to wash her private parts once the prayer time begins and then perform wudu.
[al-Lubab 1/51; Maraqi al-Falah, p. 25; Mughni al-Muhtaj 1/1; al-Muhadhdhab 1/45; al-Mughni 1/340]
Sayyiduna ʿAli, Sayyiduna Ibn Masʿud, Sayyidah ʿA’ishah, ʿUrwah bin Zubayr, and Abu Salamah bin ʿAbd al-Rahman رضی اللہ عنہم all held this view. However, it is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn ʿUmar, Sayyiduna Ibn al-Zubayr, and Imam ʿAta bin Abi Rabah that they said the mustahadah woman should perform ghusl for every prayer.
[Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi 1/425]
Those who claim ghusl is obligatory for every prayer cite the following hadith:
Sayyidah Umm Habibah bint Jahsh رضی اللہ عنہا asked the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم about istihadah blood. He replied:
“It is merely a vein. So perform ghusl and then pray.”
She used to perform ghusl for every prayer.
[Tirmidhi 129, Book of Purification: Chapter on the Mustahadah Performing Ghusl for Every Prayer; Muslim 334; Ahmad 6/237; Abu Dawood 285; Ibn Majah 626; Nasa’i 1/118; Darimi 1/196]
However, although this hadith is cited, it does not explicitly establish an obligation, as it only mentions what Sayyidah Umm Habibah رضی اللہ عنہا personally did, not that the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم commanded it for every prayer. Such personal practice does not constitute a legal obligation.
(Imam Nawawi رحمہ اللہ) The hadiths found in Abu Dawood, Bayhaqi, and others that mention the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ordering ghusl for every prayer are not authentic, as Bayhaqi and others have clearly stated their weakness.
[al-Majmuʿ 2/536]
(Shawkani رحمہ اللہ) Many of the hadith masters have clarified that the narrations about ghusl for every prayer are not reliable.
[Nayl al-Awtar 1/149]
(Imam Shafiʿi رحمہ اللہ) He said the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم only told Sayyidah Umm Habibah رضی اللہ عنہا to perform ghusl and pray; there is no explicit order for ghusl for every prayer.
[al-Umm 1/80]
Conclusion:
A woman suffering from istihadah is not obliged to perform ghusl for every prayer. She is only required to perform wudu for every prayer, and ghusl is only obligatory once at the end of the menstruation period.
[Sharh Muslim by Nawawi 2/257; al-Majmuʿ 2/535; Nayl al-Awtar 1/404; al-Sayl al-Jarrar 1/148; al-Rawdah al-Nadiyyah 1/188]
(Shaykh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Aal Shaykh) issued a fatwa in line with this conclusion.
[Fatawa al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah 1/291]
Note: If a mustahadah woman combines two prayers by delaying the first and bringing the second forward, performing one ghusl for both (for example, one ghusl for Dhuhr and ʿAsr, another for Maghrib and ʿIsha, and one for Fajr), this practice is praiseworthy and recommended, as the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “This is more pleasing to me.”
[Hasan: Sahih Abu Dawood 267; Book of Purification: Chapter on One Who Says If the Menstruation Begins, She Should Leave the Prayer; Abu Dawood 287; Tirmidhi 128; Ahmad 6/381; al-Adab al-Mufrad by Bukhari 237; Ibn Majah 627]
➊ It is narrated from ʿAdi bin Thabit from his father from his grandfather that the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said regarding the woman suffering from prolonged bleeding (istihadah):
“During the days she used to have menstruation, she should stop praying. Then she should perform ghusl and perform wudu for every prayer.”
[Sahih: Sahih Tirmidhi 109, Book of Purification: Chapter on the Mustahaḍah Performing Wudu for Every Prayer; Tirmidhi 126; Abu Dawood 297; Ibn Majah 625; Darimi 1/202]
➋ The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said to Sayyidah Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh رضی اللہ عنہا:
“After the days of menstruation are over, perform ghusl and then perform wudu for every prayer, then offer prayer.”
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood 287, Book of Purification: Chapter on One Who Says She Should Perform Ghusl from One Clean State to the Next; Abu Dawood 298; Ahmad 6/42; Ibn Majah 624; Nasa’i 1/185]
Imam Shawkani رحمہ اللہ said:
“These ahadith prove that for the mustahadah woman, wudu is obligatory for every prayer, while ghusl is only obligatory once at the end of the menstruation period.”
[Nayl al-Awtar 1/404]
(Maliki Madhhab) It is recommended (mustahab) for the mustahadah woman to perform wudu for each prayer and to perform ghusl at the end of her istihadah period.
[Bidayat al-Mujtahid 1/57; al-Qawanin al-Fiqhiyyah, p. 26-41]
(Jumhoor, Shafiʿiyyah, Hanabilah, Hanafiyyah) They say it is obligatory for the mustahadah woman to wash her private parts once the prayer time begins and then perform wudu.
[al-Lubab 1/51; Maraqi al-Falah, p. 25; Mughni al-Muhtaj 1/1; al-Muhadhdhab 1/45; al-Mughni 1/340]
Sayyiduna ʿAli, Sayyiduna Ibn Masʿud, Sayyidah ʿA’ishah, ʿUrwah bin Zubayr, and Abu Salamah bin ʿAbd al-Rahman رضی اللہ عنہم all held this view. However, it is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn ʿUmar, Sayyiduna Ibn al-Zubayr, and Imam ʿAta bin Abi Rabah that they said the mustahadah woman should perform ghusl for every prayer.
[Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi 1/425]
Those who claim ghusl is obligatory for every prayer cite the following hadith:
Sayyidah Umm Habibah bint Jahsh رضی اللہ عنہا asked the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم about istihadah blood. He replied:
“It is merely a vein. So perform ghusl and then pray.”
She used to perform ghusl for every prayer.
[Tirmidhi 129, Book of Purification: Chapter on the Mustahadah Performing Ghusl for Every Prayer; Muslim 334; Ahmad 6/237; Abu Dawood 285; Ibn Majah 626; Nasa’i 1/118; Darimi 1/196]
However, although this hadith is cited, it does not explicitly establish an obligation, as it only mentions what Sayyidah Umm Habibah رضی اللہ عنہا personally did, not that the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم commanded it for every prayer. Such personal practice does not constitute a legal obligation.
(Imam Nawawi رحمہ اللہ) The hadiths found in Abu Dawood, Bayhaqi, and others that mention the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ordering ghusl for every prayer are not authentic, as Bayhaqi and others have clearly stated their weakness.
[al-Majmuʿ 2/536]
(Shawkani رحمہ اللہ) Many of the hadith masters have clarified that the narrations about ghusl for every prayer are not reliable.
[Nayl al-Awtar 1/149]
(Imam Shafiʿi رحمہ اللہ) He said the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم only told Sayyidah Umm Habibah رضی اللہ عنہا to perform ghusl and pray; there is no explicit order for ghusl for every prayer.
[al-Umm 1/80]
Conclusion:
A woman suffering from istihadah is not obliged to perform ghusl for every prayer. She is only required to perform wudu for every prayer, and ghusl is only obligatory once at the end of the menstruation period.
[Sharh Muslim by Nawawi 2/257; al-Majmuʿ 2/535; Nayl al-Awtar 1/404; al-Sayl al-Jarrar 1/148; al-Rawdah al-Nadiyyah 1/188]
(Shaykh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Aal Shaykh) issued a fatwa in line with this conclusion.
[Fatawa al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah 1/291]
Note: If a mustahadah woman combines two prayers by delaying the first and bringing the second forward, performing one ghusl for both (for example, one ghusl for Dhuhr and ʿAsr, another for Maghrib and ʿIsha, and one for Fajr), this practice is praiseworthy and recommended, as the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “This is more pleasing to me.”
[Hasan: Sahih Abu Dawood 267; Book of Purification: Chapter on One Who Says If the Menstruation Begins, She Should Leave the Prayer; Abu Dawood 287; Tirmidhi 128; Ahmad 6/381; al-Adab al-Mufrad by Bukhari 237; Ibn Majah 627]
