What is the ruling regarding a sister who thought she was menstruating but was not, and consequently missed her prayers for two days?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. Regarding this question about a woman: one of the sisters thought she was menstruating but was not, meaning she missed her prayers for two days. What do you think? Should she pray them?
The Shaykh : What is the situation?
The questioner : How, Shaykh?
The Shaykh : What is the situation? Where did the doubt come from?
The questioner : Yes, yes. In her usual menstruation, a red drop comes down on her.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Then, a day later, brown blood followed in this instance. That is, at the same time, she saw a red drop, so she left things as they were... the prayers. Then she saw whiteness, and this continued for two full days, or rather, it continued for perhaps three or four days. But for two days, she was leaving off the prayer, and she felt discomfort in herself, saying, "This is not menstruation."
The Shaykh : Okay, is she a beginner, or is she accustomed to it, or what?
The questioner : ... Shaykh, she is accustomed to it.
The Shaykh : Okay, I think she does not know what the white discharge is, or what purity is? Do you know from her that she knows?
The questioner : By Allah, she is an older woman, so I probably think so, but I am not certain, or...
The Shaykh : Older? What do you mean by older?
The questioner : I mean, as you said, she is not a beginner, so she is accustomed to it, so I think she knows.
The Shaykh : No, that is not a condition. Many women are like this and have had many children, yet they do not know about the white discharge.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The important thing, the important thing in the matter.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This woman, either she knows the white discharge.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : In that case, what is the justification for her to doubt whether she missed her prayers or not?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Do you understand?
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Let us assume Fatimah is a woman who knows her custom that she becomes pure when she sees the white discharge.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But before she sees the white discharge, it is not necessary for the blood to continue like water from an open tap.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Rather, it is intermittent.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Is that not so?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, so if this Fatimah or Khadijah knows the white discharge, it is as if she became pure and saw drops. Okay, these drops, either she sees them before the white discharge or after it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And so, I think in her case, she does not know the white discharge. All this I am saying so that you can teach her something she does not know.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And so that she does not fall into this doubt again.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So I say, regarding the direct answer to the question, she has no obligation to make up the prayers.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : For she is like Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh, who stopped praying for a year or two.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Because she thought that the blood of irregular bleeding that had overcome her was menstrual blood.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the Messenger (peace be upon him), when he said to her:, he did not order her to make up those prayers.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is the answer to the question, but this is not enough for me.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : It is obligatory to explain this detail to her: does she know the white discharge or not? If she does not know, then we have taught her something more important than what she asked about.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And if she does know, where did the doubt come from?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because these drops are either before the white discharge or after it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If they are after it, they are not from menstruation. If they are before it, they are from menstruation. Did I make my meaning clear to you?
The questioner : The last phrase, O Shaykh: if it is before it, it is from menstruation.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And if it is after it, it is not from menstruation. So why the doubt?
The questioner : Yes, may Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And may Allah protect you, if Allah wills.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : You are welcome.
The questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The Shaykh : What is the situation?
The questioner : How, Shaykh?
The Shaykh : What is the situation? Where did the doubt come from?
The questioner : Yes, yes. In her usual menstruation, a red drop comes down on her.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Then, a day later, brown blood followed in this instance. That is, at the same time, she saw a red drop, so she left things as they were... the prayers. Then she saw whiteness, and this continued for two full days, or rather, it continued for perhaps three or four days. But for two days, she was leaving off the prayer, and she felt discomfort in herself, saying, "This is not menstruation."
The Shaykh : Okay, is she a beginner, or is she accustomed to it, or what?
The questioner : ... Shaykh, she is accustomed to it.
The Shaykh : Okay, I think she does not know what the white discharge is, or what purity is? Do you know from her that she knows?
The questioner : By Allah, she is an older woman, so I probably think so, but I am not certain, or...
The Shaykh : Older? What do you mean by older?
The questioner : I mean, as you said, she is not a beginner, so she is accustomed to it, so I think she knows.
The Shaykh : No, that is not a condition. Many women are like this and have had many children, yet they do not know about the white discharge.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The important thing, the important thing in the matter.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This woman, either she knows the white discharge.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : In that case, what is the justification for her to doubt whether she missed her prayers or not?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Do you understand?
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Let us assume Fatimah is a woman who knows her custom that she becomes pure when she sees the white discharge.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But before she sees the white discharge, it is not necessary for the blood to continue like water from an open tap.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Rather, it is intermittent.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Is that not so?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, so if this Fatimah or Khadijah knows the white discharge, it is as if she became pure and saw drops. Okay, these drops, either she sees them before the white discharge or after it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And so, I think in her case, she does not know the white discharge. All this I am saying so that you can teach her something she does not know.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And so that she does not fall into this doubt again.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So I say, regarding the direct answer to the question, she has no obligation to make up the prayers.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : For she is like Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh, who stopped praying for a year or two.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Because she thought that the blood of irregular bleeding that had overcome her was menstrual blood.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the Messenger (peace be upon him), when he said to her:
It is a discharge, and not menstrual blood
إنه عرق ، وليس بدم حيضThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is the answer to the question, but this is not enough for me.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : It is obligatory to explain this detail to her: does she know the white discharge or not? If she does not know, then we have taught her something more important than what she asked about.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And if she does know, where did the doubt come from?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because these drops are either before the white discharge or after it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If they are after it, they are not from menstruation. If they are before it, they are from menstruation. Did I make my meaning clear to you?
The questioner : The last phrase, O Shaykh: if it is before it, it is from menstruation.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And if it is after it, it is not from menstruation. So why the doubt?
The questioner : Yes, may Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And may Allah protect you, if Allah wills.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : You are welcome.
The questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.