Does Menstruation Invalidate a Woman’s Fast Before Iftar? Islamic Rulings and Wisdom
Question: If a woman begins menstruating a few minutes before Iftar (breaking the fast) while fasting, will she complete that day’s fast or not? Also, what is the wisdom behind skipping the fast during menstruation (Haiz) and post-partum bleeding (Nifas)?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah):
- Some people with little knowledge have spread the notion that if a woman gets her period after Asr, her fast remains valid or she should complete the fast.
- Whereas this is absurd and fabricated, because if menstruation starts while a woman is fasting, her fast becomes invalid, even if the blood starts flowing just a few moments before sunset. Her fast will end, and if it was an obligatory fast, Qada (making it up later) is obligatory on her. And it is Haram (forbidden) for a woman to continue fasting in the state of menstruation.
Mother of the Believers, Sayyidah Aisha (RA) states:
During the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), when we menstruated, we were ordered to make up (Qada) the fasts, but we were not ordered to make up the prayers.
(Sahih Muslim Hadith No-335)
(Sunan Abu Dawood Hadith No-263)
And Abu Sa’id (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to the women:
“Is it not that when one of you menstruates, she neither offers prayer nor keeps the fast? This is the deficiency in her religion.” (Sahih Bukhari Hadith No-304)
Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
There is a consensus (Ijma) of the Ummah on the prohibition of fasting for a menstruating woman and a woman with post-partum bleeding. Therefore, based on this, her fast is not valid… The Ummah also has consensus that she must fast to make up for this fast (later). Imam Tirmidhi, Ibn Mundhir, Ibn Jarir, and our companions, etc., have reported this consensus. Briefly.
See: Al-Majmu’ li-al-Nawawi (2 / 386)
And Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
There is a consensus among the people of knowledge that it is not Halal for a menstruating woman or a woman with post-partum bleeding to fast. Rather, they will not keep the fasts of Ramadan, but will make them up later. And if they do fast, their fast will not be valid.
Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
Fasting becomes invalid if menstruation occurs while fasting, even if it occurs just a moment before sunset. If it was an obligatory fast, making up (Qada) for that day will be obligatory.
However, if she felt the movement of menstrual blood before Maghrib but the blood did not start flowing, rather the blood started flowing after Maghrib, then her fast is valid and complete. And the correct view is that it will not be invalid. Ends.
See: Ad-Dima’ al-Tabi’iyyah lin-Nisa, page number (28).
The following question was asked to the Permanent Committee for Fatwa (Al-Lajnah Al-Da’imah):
A woman fasted, but menstruation started a short while before sunset and the Adhan. Will her fast become invalid?
The Committee’s answer was:
If menstruation comes before Maghrib, the fast will be invalid and she will make it up. But in the case of menstruation coming after Maghrib, her fast is valid and complete; there is no Qada upon her. Ends.
See: Fatawa Al-Lajnah Al-Da’imah lil-Buhuth Al-‘Ilmiyyah wal-Ifta (10 / 155)
Sheikh Saleh Al-Munajjid (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
The menstruating woman and the woman with post-partum bleeding are the same because Nifas blood is essentially Haiz blood, and its ruling is the same. When menstruation occurs in any part of the day, the fast of that day becomes void, whether menstruation comes at the beginning of the day or in the evening. And if a menstruating woman, despite knowing the prohibition of fasting in the state of menstruation, makes the intention to fast and does not eat or drink anything, she will be sinful, and this fasting of hers will not be sufficient. Ends.
((Saudi Fatwa Committee Islam Question and Answer))
The Wisdom Behind a Menstruating Woman Skipping the Fast
Imam al-Haramayn says: The meaning behind her fast not being valid cannot be fully grasped (intellectually), because purity (Taharah) and cleanliness are not conditions for fasting. Ends.
See: Al-Majmu’ (2 / 386)
And some other scholars say: Rather, the wisdom in this is that Allah Almighty, showing mercy to the menstruating woman, has forbidden her from fasting. This is because weakness occurs due to the loss of blood, and if she were to fast as well, there would be even more weakness because the weakness of menstruation and fasting would combine. Consequently, the fast would not let her remain in a state of moderation (equilibrium), and it is also possible that she might be harmed by it.
Sheikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says in Majmoo’ al-Fatawa:
Mentioning the wisdom of menstruation and its conformity with analogy (Qiyas), we say:
Indeed, the Islamic Shariah has brought justice and fairness in everything. Excess in worship is oppression and transgression, which the Shariah has forbidden, and it has ordered moderation in worship. That is why the Lawgiver ordered haste in Iftar and delay in Suhoor, and while forbidding Wisal (i.e., keeping a second fast without breaking the fast in between), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
(The best and most just fasts are the fasts of Dawood (AS); he used to fast one day and not fast the other day).
Therefore, justice in acts of worship is the greatest of the objectives of the Shariah…!
And when this is the case, the fasting person is prohibited from strengthening things, i.e., eating and drinking, and is also prohibited from the expulsion of those things whose expulsion causes weakness…
And in the blood of menstruation, there is an expulsion of blood. And then it is possible for the menstruating woman to fast at another time other than menstruation when she is not bleeding, because fasting in such a state will be moderation, as in that state blood does not flow, which is the substance that gives strength to the body.
And in fasting during the state of menstruation, her blood flows, which is the cause of strengthening the body. Its expulsion causes harm and weakness to the body, due to which the fast will depart from the state of moderation. Therefore, the woman was ordered to fast at times other than the state of menstruation. Ends, abbreviated.
(See: Majmoo’ al-Fatawa by Ibn Taymiyyah (25 / 234))
((And Allah knows best what is correct))
Reference: https://alfurqan.info/problems/945
