The blood of istiḥāḍa is that blood which a woman sees for less than three days or for more than ten days, i.e. beyond the maximum of menstruation, or for more than 40 days after child-birth (Qudūrī). Dysfunctional uterine bleeding falls into the same category as that of other problems which make it difficult to retain the ablution (chronic annulment of wudū’), such as the continuous passing of gases or intermittent drops of urine. Anyone suffering from such problems normally falls into the category of the excused person for whom there are special laws for wuḍū and prayer. These will be mentioned hereunder.
1. A woman suffering from dysfunctional uterine bleeding or has difficulty retaining her ablution will perform ablution for the time of each obligatory prayer. And, with that wudū’ it is permissible for her that she prays as many obligatory or optional prayers as she desires during that prayer time.
2. The ablution of such a person will not be considered nullified with the recurrence of that ailment which prevents them from maintaining the wudū’. However, the wudū’ will be nullified with all other nullifiers and with the expiry of the prayer time.
Example: A woman is considered an excused person due to the chronic passing of gas. If during the prayer, she passes gas, her wudū’ will not be nullified. However, if she laughs aloud during the prayer or vomits, her wuḍū’ will be considered null.
3. A person only qualifies as an excused person (i.e., one suffering from chronic annulment of wuḍū’) when the problem remains for the complete duration of an obligatory prayer time in a way that the person cannot perform the ablution or prayer without its absence.
4. The condition for the continuation of this excused state after it has been established is that the problem reoccurs at least once during every subsequent prayer time. One no longer remains in this state when the complete time of an obligatory prayer lapses without the problem occurring even once.
5. It is necessary for one suffering from the chronic annulment of wudū’ to change one’s clothing if they become impure. This is provided that after changing one’s clothes, one can complete ones prayer before the clothes become soiled again. If this is not possible then one can pray with the soiled clothing.
6. If a woman suffering from dysfunctional uterine bleeding forgets the number of days of her normal menstruation cycle, but remembers when it occurred each month, she will abandon her prayer for three days from the first day when her menstruation normally occurs. Regarding these three days she can be sure that they are menstruation. For the following seven days, she shall perform a bath for each ṣalāt, because of the uncertainty of whether it is dysfunctional uterine bleeding or menstruation. She will also perform with every prayer, a makeup of the previous prayer during these seven days because of the uncertainty of exactly when she became pure and the possibility of her menstruation having ended after the previous farḍ
prayer. Then, for the following 20 days she shall perform ablution for each prayer this can be regarded as her purity period. It is lawful for her in the period of purity to have sexual relations with her husband.
7. If she can recall the number of days, for example, three, but not when it occurred, then she shall pray for three days from the beginning of the month with a fresh ablution for each prayer because of the uncertainty of whether she is in menstruation or purity. Then, for the following 27 days she shall bathe for each prayer because of the possibility that she may have finished her menstruation at any hour during those days. She should also perform with every prayer a makeup of the previous prayer for the same reason as above.
8. If a girl experienced continuous bleeding at the age of nine, her menstruation will be considered to have begun. From each month ten days of bleeding will be her menstruation and the remainder will be dysfunctional uterine bleeding.
