A questioner says: What is the ruling on a woman taking pills to prevent menstruation before Ramadan so that she can fast and pray, especially during the last ten days?

The questioner : May Allah reward you. This says: What is the ruling on a woman taking pills to prevent menstruation before Ramadan so that she can fast and pray, especially during the last ten days?

The Shaykh : I do not think a woman should use these pills. First, because menstrual blood is natural blood that has a specific time for it to come out. If it is held back from its time, it causes harm to the woman, just as holding back urine or stool causes harm to a person. Similarly, if menstrual blood is held back from its time, it harms the woman. Second, some doctors have written to me about more than fifteen types of harms resulting from these pills, including that they are a cause of deformed fetuses, meaning they cause the pregnancy to be deformed, either in the head, hand, leg, or something similar. Third, we say: Who is it that decreed blood for the daughters of Adam? It is Allah, Mighty and Majestic. For this reason, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered upon Aisha while she was crying and had entered the state of ihram for 'Umrah, he said to her: meaning, be content with it, because it is blood of nature and innate disposition. Therefore, a woman should not oppose this nature and this innate disposition. What I advise women is not to use these pills. The fact that she does not fast or pray when menstruation comes to her is part of the decree of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and the coming of menstruation is part of the divine decree. By this, she combines being content with the divine decree and being content with the Shari'ah of Allah. So I do not advise women to use these pills.