Answered by Sidi Mostafa Azzam
A little gift: The Fiqh of Menstruation and other uterine bleeding
A LITTLE GIFT
The Fiqh of Menstruation and Other Uterine Bleeding
Based on Sheikh al-Islam Zakariyya Ansari’s
Tahrir Tanqih al-Lubab
Mostafa Azzam
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Praise Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is no god but Allah, alone, without partner, and I testify that our master Muhammad is His slave and messenger. Allah favor and salute our master Muhammad, his family, his companions, the righteous, and the scholars of Islam who have preserved for us the religion. As for what follows, this is a brief rhyme on the rulings of menstruation (hayd), childbed (nifas), and abnormal uterine bleeding, or AUB (istihadah). It is based on the chapter of hayd from the book Tahrir Tanqih al-Lubab by Sheikh al-Islam, Zakariyya Ansari, as well as its versified version, Taysir at-Tahrir, by Sharaf ad-Din Yahya al-`Imriti. I have made some changes to facilitate understanding and some for the sake of verse. If fully understood, it suffices, and a woman need not learn beyond it.
1 He says, the most needy slave Mostafa Azzam
2 (Relying on the Tahrir of Sheikh al-Islam,
3 Zakariyya Ansari, also relying
4 On its poem by `Imriti) the following:
5 Praise Allah, the one that made an obligation
6 The knowing of the rulings of menstruation;
7 For dependent on it is many a ruling
8 Between reward and sin it alone dividing,
9 Such as rulings pertaining to majority,
10 Purity’s, prayer’s, and fasting’s validity,
11 Touching, carrying, and reciting the Koran,
12 Being in the mosque, the Kaaba’s circulation,
13 Also permitting of sexual intercourse,
14 And the waiting period, as well as divorce.
15 Know that the youngest age to get menstruation
16 Is roughly nine years, known by investigation.
17 One day and night of bleeding is its minimum.
18 Fifteen, though intermittent, is its maximum.
19 And six or seven it does normally occur;
20 And the rest of the month she normally is pure.
21 Fifteen days is the minimum for purity.
22 It has no maximum: her whole life it could be.
23 And menopause at sixty-two is expected;
24 A moment is the minimum for childbed.
25 And its usual number of days is forty,
26 And sixty is the maximum that it can be.
27 And half a year is the minimum pregnancy
28 Plus two moments: copulation, delivery.
29 And four years for pregnancy is the maximal.
30 And nine months for pregnancy is the usual.
31 Forbidden by childbed and menstruation
32 Is that which is forbidden by copulation,
33 Plus five others: fasting, divorce, and entering
34 The mosque when there is fear of contaminating,
35 Direct skin contact with her from navel to knee,
36 And purification intending purity.
37 She has AUB if abnormally she bleeds.
38 In each group below the max her bleeding exceeds.
39 They are four groups: habituated, beginner,
40 Which could each be or not be a distinguisher
41 Distinguisher: she judges her menstruation,
42 In all cases, according to the distinction
43 Such that she makes out bleeding that is weak and strong,
44 Provided the strong’s not more than fifteen days long,
45 Nor the strong less than twenty-four hours its sum,
46 Nor the weak shorter than purity’s minimum.
47 In that case the weak bleeding is deemed purity
48 And the strong is menses, whatever quality.
49 And otherwise, if she’s not habituated,
50 Then twenty-four hours she has menstruated.
51 If she had habituated menstruation,
52 She looks to her habit in time and duration.
53 But then if her habit she cannot remember
54 Its time and its durationconfusing call her.
55 If she remembers that which gives her certainty,
56 Then the certain part is treated accordingly.
57 She’s deemed menstruating for sexual pleasure,
58 And for acts of worship needing intention pure;
59 And she is forbidden from touching the Koran,
60 And outside of prayer, from its recitation.
61 She must take a bath for every obligation
62 With which could be the end of her menstruation;
63 But then if she knows what time of day its end was.
64 Then bathe at that time once daily is what she does.
65 Thus does conclude this rhyme, Allah make it a key
66 To menstruation, childbed, and AUB.
67 And through it give understanding of your command.
68 And take each pure, believing woman by the hand.
69 To each A Little Gift, may it find acceptance,
70 Despite its author’s deficiency and ignorance.
71 Then thanks and praise to Allah for its completion.
72 To His messenger favor and salutation.