Mu'meneen Brothers and Sisters,

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

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

ive heard a woman can perform Hajj even if she is having her periods, but cant to tawaf. is that true. what if she has periods on the 8th of zilhajj but on the 9th she can take a bath and purify....will she have to change her ahram and all?
i would appreciate an early reply cos im going for Hajj soon. 

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Answer:

Woman Hajj Menses

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 no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: ive heard a woman can perform Hajj even if she is having her periods, but cant to tawaf. is that true.

Your statement is absolutely true. A believing woman in menses can do absolutely every rite of the Pilgrimage of Hajj, except the Tawaaf of the Sacred House; which she will have to do after the completion of her periods.

Your Question: what if she has periods on the 8th of zilhajj but on the 9th she can take a bath and purify....will she have to change her ahram and all?
Assuming that she intends to do “Hajj Tamattu”, she should proceed with the pilgrims to Mina on the 8^th, then to the plains of Arafah on the 9^th. When her menses period ends, she must purify herself with a full ghusl, and continue the Hajj rites.

Ehram is normally taken as the clothes one wears, but the truth is that the ‘ehram’ is not the clothes, but the intention one makes for performing Hajj or Umrah. Just as one declares the ‘Takbeer’ by saying “Allah-o-Akbar” to enter the state of prayer, making the intention of Hajj or Umrah at the ‘meeqat’ by saying ‘Labbayka Hajjan or Umrah’ would enter the person into the state of ehram, and some restrictions are put on the one who enters the ‘ehram’.

Ref: Some of the restrictions for men in ehram:

1. Cannot wear stitched clothes.
2. Cannot cut hair
3. Cannot cut nails-
4. Cannot have intercourse.
5. Cannot cover head

Ref: Some restrictions for the women in ehram:

1. Cannot cut hair
2. Cannot cut nails
3. Cannot have intercourse.
4. Cannot cover face.
5. Cannot cover hands from the wrist onwards

Your Question: will she have to change her ahram and all?

The intention for performing Hajj will be made by the woman on the 8^th of Dhul-Hajjah, even if she is in her menses. Thus, when she purifies herself on the 9^th, there is no need to change her intention.

If by change the ehram, you meant the clothing she was wearing; she may change it if she feels her clothes are impure. But if her clothes are pure and no impurities have touched them, it is not necessary to change them.

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

Your brother in Islam,

Burhan