🕌 Worship in the home · #30
A wife has istihadah (abnormal, non-menstrual bleeding). Must she pray, and may her husband be intimate with her?
Yes, a woman with istihadah must pray and fast, and her husband may be intimate with her according to the majority view, because istihadah is not menstruation.
Fatima bint Abi Hubaysh r.a. complained that her bleeding did not stop, and the Prophet ﷺ explained that it was blood from a vein, not menstruation; leave the prayer on your days of menstruation, then bathe and pray (Sahih al-Bukhari 306). A woman with istihadah cleans herself and wears a pad, performs wudu after the time has begun for each obligatory prayer, and keeps praying even if blood flows. Distinguishing menstruation from istihadah depends on her usual cycle and the nature of the blood; the Shafi'i school sets the maximum for menstruation at fifteen days. If the bleeding is abnormal or prolonged, see a doctor, as it may be a sign of a health problem. See Fiqh of menstruation.
Fatima bint Abi Hubaysh r.a. complained that her bleeding did not stop, and the Prophet ﷺ explained that it was blood from a vein, not menstruation; leave the prayer on your days of menstruation, then bathe and pray (Sahih al-Bukhari 306). A woman with istihadah cleans herself and wears a pad, performs wudu after the time has begun for each obligatory prayer, and keeps praying even if blood flows. Distinguishing menstruation from istihadah depends on her usual cycle and the nature of the blood; the Shafi'i school sets the maximum for menstruation at fifteen days. If the bleeding is abnormal or prolonged, see a doctor, as it may be a sign of a health problem. See Fiqh of menstruation.
Sources
Sahih al-Bukhari 306Surah al-Baqarah 2:222