During Istiḥādhah, if One Was Unable To Change Their Sanitary Towel and Renew Their Wuḍū Would Their Salah Be Valid

Answered by: Maulana Yūsuf Badāt

Question:

I am aware that during istiḥādhah, one must change their sanitary towel and renew their wuḍū at the time of each ṣalāh.

Recently I was in a situation where I was able to perform wuḍū, but I was unable to use the toilet to change my sanitary towel. Will my ṣalāh be accepted?

In a situation like this, when one has water but is unable to use the toilet, what is the best thing to do?

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

Answer:

During istiḥādha (dysfunctional uterine bleeding), the proper method is to change the sanitary cloth or pad, which the blood has reached, make istinjā (wash up) appropriately and then perform wuḍū.

If however, one is unable, then if the amount of blood is less than a large coin (palm size) then prayer would be accepted otherwise not. – (See: Rad Al-Muḥtār, Vol 1, Page 317, Dār Al-Fikr¹ , Badāi’ Al-Ṣanāi’, Vol 1, Page 25, Dār Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmīyyah²)

Fāṭima Bint Abī Ḥubaysh came to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and said, “O Allāh’s Messenger, I get persistent bleeding from the uterus and do not become clean [even in between menses]. Shall I give up my prayers?” Allāh’s Messenger replied, “No, this is from a blood vessel and not menses. So, when your actual menses begin, give up your prayers and when it has finished wash off the blood and offer your prayers.” Hishām [the sub narrator] reported that his father had also said, [the Prophet told her], “Perform ablution for every prayer until the time of the next period comes.” – (Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī 228³)

Only Allāh knows best

Written by Maulana Yūsuf Badāt

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

1 وَالْأَقْرَبُ أَنَّ غَسْلَ الدِّرْهَمِ وَمَا دُونَهُ مُسْتَحَبٌّ مَعَ الْعِلْمِ بِهِ وَالْقُدْرَةِ عَلَى غَسْلِهِ فَتَرْكُهُ حِينَئِذٍ خِلَافُ الْأَوْلَى نَعَمْ الدِّرْهَمُ غَسْلُهُ آكَدُ مِمَّا دُونَهُ فَتَرْكُهُ أَشَدُّ كَرَاهَةً كَمَا يُسْتَفَادُ مِنْ غَيْرِ مَا كِتَابٍ مِنْ مَشَاهِيرِ كُتُبِ الْمَذْهَبِ – كتاب الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ج١/ ص٣١٧ دار الفكر

فَفِي الْمُحِيطِ يُكْرَهُ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ وَمَعَهُ قَدْرُ دِرْهَمٍ أَوْ دُونَهُ مِنْ النَّجَاسَةِ عَالِمًا بِهِ لِاخْتِلَافِ النَّاسِ فِيهِ زَادَ فِي مُخْتَارَاتِ النَّوَازِلِ قَادِرًا عَلَى إزَالَتِهِ – كتاب الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ج١/ ص٣١٧ دار الفكر

2 وَسَوَاءٌ كَانَ الْخَارِجُ قَلِيلًا أَوْ كَثِيرًا سَالَ عَنْ رَأْسِ الْمَخْرَجِ أَوْ لَمْ يَسِلْ لِمَا قُلْنَا وَكَذَا الْمَنِيُّ وَالْمَذْيُ وَالْوَدْيُ وَدَمُ الْحَيْضِ وَالنِّفَاسُ وَدَمُ الِاسْتِحَاضَةِ لِأَنَّهَا كُلَّهَا أَنْجَاسٌ لِمَا يُذْكَر فِي بَيَانِ أَنْوَاعِ الْأَنْجَاسِ وَقَدْ انْتَقَلَتْ مِنْ الْبَاطِنِ إلَى الظَّاهِرِ فَوَجَدَ خُرُوجَ النَّجَسِ مِنْ الْآدَمِيِّ الْحَيِّ فَيَكُونُ حَدَثًا إلَّا أَنَّ بَعْضَهَا يُوجِبُ الْغُسْلَ وَهُوَ الْمَنِيُّ وَدَمُ الْحَيْضِ وَالنِّفَاسُ وَبَعْضُهَا يُوجِبُ الْوُضُوءَ وَهُوَ الْمَذْيُ وَالْوَدْيُ وَدَمُ الِاسْتِحَاضَةِ – كتاب بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع ج ١/ ص٢٥ دار الكتب العلمية

3 عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ جَاءَتْ فَاطِمَةُ ابْنَةُ أَبِي حُبَيْشٍ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي امْرَأَةٌ أُسْتَحَاضُ فَلاَ أَطْهُرُ أَفَأَدَعُ الصَّلاَةَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لاَ إِنَّمَا ذَلِكِ عِرْقٌ وَلَيْسَ بِحَيْضٍ فَإِذَا أَقْبَلَتْ حَيْضَتُكِ فَدَعِي الصَّلاَةَ وَإِذَا أَدْبَرَتْ فَاغْسِلِي عَنْكِ الدَّمَ ثُمَّ صَلِّي‏ قَالَ وَقَالَ أَبِي ثُمَّ تَوَضَّئِي لِكُلِّ صَلاَةٍ حَتَّى يَجِيءَ ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتُ – رواه البخاري ٢٢٨