What is the ruling on menstrual blood if it comes before her expected period, for example a week early, and then stops for a few days? Does she leave off the prayer?

The questioner : It means before her expected period—for example, a week—and it is menstrual blood, then it stops for a few days and is very light. What is required of her? Does she leave off the prayer? Does she not leave off the prayer?

The Shaykh : No, this is either irregular non-menstrual bleeding or it is not irregular non-menstrual bleeding, if it continues with her from one prayer to the next, for example.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Then it is irregular non-menstrual bleeding, and she performs the ablution for every prayer. But if it does not continue, if it comes out she performs the ablution, if it does not come out she does not perform the ablution.

The questioner : But it is exactly like menstrual blood?

The Shaykh : For menstrual blood, it is required for the woman who has a regular cycle that it be seen during her usual time, in the period she has become accustomed to.

The questioner : But in these days, in medicine, they say that sometimes the woman’s... the menstruation...

The Shaykh : Sometimes what?

The questioner : Sometimes it is delayed from her expected period, and sometimes it comes early before her expected period.

The Shaykh : All right, but you are not saying her custom has changed; you are saying it is before her custom. But when you say her custom has become disordered and she can no longer distinguish it, in this case there is no way to know menstrual blood except by the way the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned, which is his saying: or . But as long as she knows her custom from its beginning to its end, then what is before the beginning and what is after the end is not menstrual blood.