Menstruation and Prayer: Understanding Irregular Cycles Near Menopause

Navigating Menstrual Irregularities and Prayer Obligations

Question: I am 48 years old and possibly nearing menopause. Recently, my menstrual cycle has become irregular. Sometimes, I don’t get my period for two or two and a half months, and sometimes it comes. This month, for the first time, I got my period again within thirteen days, but this time I did not feel the usual symptoms like heaviness in the body and feeling cold. The question is, if the period comes again within thirteen days, should it be considered menstruation, or can I perform prayers with a new ablution each time?

Answer: When a woman approaches the age of fifty, her menstrual cycle starts to cease, and generally, by the age of sixty, menstruation stops completely. If an older woman does not get her period in a particular month, she should perform her prayers fully during that month. When she gets her period and it has the characteristics of menstruation, she should refrain from prayers and fasting for those days. Once the menstruation ends, she should perform ghusl (ritual purification) and resume her prayers.

In the given situation, if menstruation occurs once and then again after becoming clean, the key point to understand is that menstruation is identified by its characteristics, not by bodily pain or cold. The three main characteristics of menstruation are its dark color, thickness, and odor.

When the first blood appears and it has these three characteristics, it is considered menstruation. Once the menstruation ends completely and blood appears again after a few days without these characteristics, it is not considered menstruation but rather irregular bleeding. In this case, the woman should clean the blood-stained area before each prayer, perform ablution, and then pray.

Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi (Hafizahullah)

Jeddah Dawah Center, Hayy Al-Salamah, Saudi Arabia