Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I have read most questions about postmeenstrual discharge, but none about premenstrual. Are they treated as same. For the past one year, 2 days before periods due date i have pinkish and sometimes brownish discharge. sometimes brownish discharge is enough that I need pantiliner. Can Pray during this time.

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Answer:

Pre menses discharge

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.72

Topic: Women with Prolonged Flows of Blood

Shariah defines such an occurrence as the flowing of blood outside of the regular time. This usually happens in two specific cases. In the first case, the woman knows that her flow of menstrual blood is lasting longer than usual. In such a case, she will act according to her customary period, and the remainder will be considered days of prolonged blood flows. This is based on the hadith of Umm Salamah, in which she asked the Messenger of Allah (saws) about this condition. He (saws) said, "She should wait for the days and nights of her normal period and figure them out of the month, and she should leave the prayer during those days. (Afterwards) she should perform ghusl, tighten something around her vagina and then pray." (Related by Bukhari and Muslim)

Al-Khattabi holds, "That regulation is for the woman who is experiencing prolonged blood flows. If the blood is flowing, the Prophet (saws) ordered her to leave the prayer during her regular period, and to perform ghusl after her customary time has passed. Then, she becomes just like any other purified person."

In the second case, a woman has a regular period, but she is able to distinguish the blood. She should, therefore, behave according to the type of blood she sees. Fatimah bint Abu Hubaish had a prolonged flow of blood, and the Prophet (saws) told her, "If it is menstrual blood, it is dark and recognizable. If you have that, abstain from the prayer. If it is other than that, make ablution and pray, for it is a vein."

Every woman knows her approximate dates of menstruation. The majority of the scholars and jurists in Islam are of the opinion that if the blood discharge of the woman starts a day or two earlier than her determined start of menstruation, then this discharge should be considered a part of her menstruation period. All the restrictions which apply to the believing woman during menstruation should be honored in such a situation.

But if this discharge of the woman starts a few days or a week before her determined start of menstruation, then it would be spottings and not menstruation; thus the woman will be considered pure and she should wash her private parts, perform her wudu, and offer her prayers as normal until the start of her proper menstruation period.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan