When does a woman reach the age of despair?

Question : This questioner asks: What is the age of despair? Is it tied to a specific age, or to the cessation of menstruation? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer : Despair is not restricted to a specific age. Because despair is the opposite of hope. So when a woman’s menstruation stops in a way that she does not hope for its return, that is despair. For this reason, a woman may still menstruate when she is over fifty years old, meaning menstruation may remain with a woman until she is sixty or seventy years old. And a woman may reach despair when she is only forty years old. So despair is not restricted by age, but by the state of affairs. When a woman despairs of menstruation and does not hope for its return, she is one who has reached despair, and Allah knows best. Thank you.