Minimum or maximum length of time for the menses
Praise Be to Allah,
Menstruation (Arabic: hayd) is the natural flowing of blood from the inner womb during specific times. It was created by Allah in relation to the nourishment of the foetus in the mother’s womb[i].
It is a natural blood which is not caused by a disease, wound, fall or delivery. Since this blood is a natural blood, its character varies as per physical constitution of the female, the environment and the climate, the lady lives in. Hence, the timing of the discharge of blood varies from woman to woman[ii].
How long does the blood lasts?
The Hanafis believe that the minimum menstrual days are three days with their nights and that the maximum menstrual days are ten days with their nights. As for the Shafi’ites, they are of the opinion that one day is the minimum menstrual day and that the maximum is 15 days with their nights[iii].
According to Imam Malik, there is no limit to the shortest period. Their opinion is supported by the modern medical knowledge[iv]. The famous position of Hanbali madhab is that the shortest duration of menstruation is a day and night and the longest is fifteen days[v].
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Ata’ said: I have seen some women whose menses lasts one day, and others whose menses lasts fifteen days.
Ahmad said: Yahya ibn Adam told me: I heard Shareek say: Among us there is a woman who regularly menstruates for fifteen days out of every month[vi]. End quote from al-Mughni (1/225)
Supporting evidence:
A divorced woman came to All ibn Abl Talib and claimed that her ‘iddah (waiting period) was over in a month. Shurayh al-Qadl was with ‘All who asked him his opinion regarding the woman’s claim. Shurayh replied, “If she is able to produce evidence to substantiate her claim, then verily her waiting period has lapsed.” All concurred with this opinion. In the commentary, we are told that the woman had menses for a day and a night then was menses free for thirteen days, had menses thereafter for a day and a night, then was menses free for another thirteen days. All of this happened within twenty-eight days. This means that she completed her waiting period in a month[vii].
The evidence quoted above does not in any way indicate any limit or minimum number of days of bleeding. However, as we will see there is no limit of days for the minimum or the maximum duration of menstruation.”. This is the position of Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taimiyah, Sheikh al-Uthaymeen (May Allah have mercy on their soul) as it is evidenced by the Noble Quran, Sunnah.
Evidence No. 1: The saying of Allah (Most High):
{ ويَسألُونَكَ عنِ المَحيضِ قُل هُوَ أذًى فاعتَزِلُوا النِساءَ في المَحيضِ ولا تَقرَبُوهُنَّ حتَّى يطهُرن }
( (البقرة، 222
“They ask you concerning menstruation. Say: that is an Adha (a harmful thing for a husband to have a sexual intercourse with his wife while she is having her menses) therefore keep away from women during menses and go not unto them till they have been purified (from menses and have taken a bath).” (Qur’an 2: 222).
Allah made the reason behind abstention from legal sexual intercourse with the woman is the lack of purity during her Haid and not the end of a certain period of time: a day, a night, three days, not even fifteen days.
Evidence No.2:
When he (SAAW) explained to his wife ‘Aisha (RAA) what to do when she had her menstrual period after assuming her state of Ihram for Umra: “Do all that the Pilgrim is supposed to do except that you don’t perform Tawaff (Circumambulation) around the Ka’ba till you are clean (from your Haid). She said: “On the Day of Nahr (animal sacrifice: 10th day of Dhul Hijja), I was pure[viii].”
Shayekul Islam Ibn Taymeeyah said: “Basically everything that comes out from the womb is Haid until an evidence can be established to indicate that it is Istihadah.” He also said: “Any released blood is a Haid blood unless it is known to be the type of wound blood or bleeding from a blood vessel”[ix]“.
Evidence Number 3:
It is known, Allah (SW) and His Messenger (SAAW) explained:
Prayers, their numbers, their times, their Ruk’oou, and their Sujood, Zakat, its types of wealth and property; Nissab12, its due amount, and it’s recipients. Siyam (Fasting): its period and the specified times in the day,Hajj (Pilgrimage). The etiquettes of eating, drinking, sleeping, sexual intercourse with the wife, sitting, entering and leaving the home, the way to answer the call of nature, even the number of stones to be used in Istijmar and many more details.
Regarding the age at which menses starts and ends is not present in the Book of Allah and in the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAAW) although this issue is needed, and necessity demands its clarification. If it were obligatory to understand these estimates and to use them in the worship Allah, then Allah and His Messenger would have clearly made it known to everyone[x].
Sheikh al-Uthaymeen says,
“The disagreements and disturbances in the sayings of those who specify a certain period of time for Haid indicates the absence of evidence for such sayings. These opinions were arrived at by Ijtihaad. and they are subject to being wrong or right and none of these opinions have precedence over the other. And at times of dispute matters have to be referred to Qur’an and Sunnah”[xi].
Allama Ibn Rushd says,
“All these opinions given by ‘fuqaha about the minimum period of mensuration, its maximum, and the minimum for purity have no revelatory basis. The basis is experienced and what each believed to be usual occurrence. Each one of them said what he thought the common experience of women to be. It is difficult however to fix by experience limit for these things because of the differences among woman”[xii].
Sayed Sabiq in his famous Fiqh-us sunnah further says,
“All statements dealing with this topic have no sound backing. If a woman has a customary length of time for her menses, she should according to it. Umm Salamah asked the Prophet about a woman with a prolonged flow of blood. He said, “She should look for the number of days and nights that she usually has her menses and the time of the month during which it occurs. Then she should leave the prayer (during those days, and then afterwards) perform ghusl, tie something around her vagina and pray[xiii].”
Conclusion
We have clearly proven and stated that the most correct scholarly view is that there is no maximum or minimum length of menses. Allah Knows Best.
[i] A Commentary On Zad Al-Mustaqni, Salih Fauzan Al-Fawzan, Vol- 1, page 150
[ii] Islamic Rulings on Menstruation and Postpartum Condition, Compiled By: Darussalam, Edited By: Abdul Rahman Abdullah, Page 6
[iii] Encyclopedia of Islam (Concerning Muslim Women) Volume – 1, Yusuf Al-Hajj Ahmad, Published By: Darussalam Publishers, Page-220
[iv] Fiqh of Worship, Commentary on ‘Umdat al-Fiqh (The Reliable Source of Fiqh), Commentary and translation by:
Dr.Hatem al-Haj, page- 101
[v] A Commentary On Zad Al-Mustaqni, Salih Fauzan Al-Fawzan, Vol- 1, page- 157
[vi] https://islamqa.info/en/answers/247317/what-is-the-evidence-for-the-maximum-length-of-menses-being-fifteen-days-and-what-is-the-maximum-length-of-tuhr-purity
[vii] A Commentary On Zad Al-Mustaqni, Salih Fauzan Al-Fawzan, Vol- 1, page- 157
[viii] Saheeh Al-Bukhari (Arabic-English) V. 1, PP.182-3, Hadeeth # 302.
[ix] NATURAL BLOOD OF WOMEN By Shayekh Muhammad bin Salih Al-Utheimeen, Second Edition Translated & Researched by Saleh-As .Saleh S .Dr, page- 10
[x] NATURAL BLOOD OF WOMEN By Shayekh Muhammad bin Salih Al-Utheimeen, Second Edition Translated & Researched by Saleh-As .Saleh S .Dr, page- 7
[xi] NATURAL BLOOD OF WOMEN By Shayekh Muhammad bin Salih Al-Utheimeen, Second Edition Translated & Researched by Saleh-As .Saleh S .Dr, page- 9
[xii] The Distinguished Jurist’s Primer: v.1, Page 52
[xiii] Related by “the five,” except for at-Tirmizhi
quoted in Fiqh us sunnah, Sayed Sabiq, PDF, Page 42