Menstruation and Prayer: What to Do When Period Ends Early

Understanding the Rulings on Ghusl and Prayer for Women with Irregular Menstruation

Question: If a woman’s menstrual period lasts six days but occasionally ends after five days, and out of doubt she delays performing ghusl (ritual bath), will she have to make up the prayers missed on the fifth day, and will it be a sin to miss those prayers?

Answer: If a woman usually menstruates for six days but her bleeding stops after five days, she should not delay performing ghusl out of doubt. Instead, she should ensure that she is completely clean (dry), as this is a sign of purity from menstruation. She must then perform ghusl and pray.

If she missed any prayers due to being clean but not performing ghusl, she must make up for those missed prayers. If she makes up the prayers, she will not be sinful, but if she deliberately leaves them, she will be sinful. In the future, once she is certain of her purity, she must promptly perform ghusl and pray.

Respondent: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi Hafizahullah 

Jeddah Dawah Center, Saudi Arabia  

Interpreter: Hasan Fuzail