Istihada: What Is It? And Examples
Bismi Llahir Rahmanir Rahim
by Naielah Ackbarali
Abnormal vaginal bleeding (istihada) is invalid blood. Practically speaking, it is any colored vaginal discharge that is not ruled as menstruation (hayd) or lochia (nifas).
Contrary to popular thought, istihada is not a specific color, consistency, or flow. In the Hanafi madhhab, istihada can be any color and any type of flow – even red, heavy bleeding.
The days that a woman experiences istihada are also known as legal purity (ṭuhr hukmi). This means that even though she is seeing blood, she must act like a woman in a state of purity.
PURITY RULINGS RELATED TO ISTIHADA
The prohibitions that apply to a woman in a state of menstruation and lochia do not apply to a woman who is experiencing istihada.
Thus, a woman with istihada is still required to carry out her obligatory worship despite her vaginal bleeding.
This means that:
She must pray her daily obligatory (fard) and witr prayers with ablution (wudu). The blood from istihada is deemed filthy (najas), and its presence on a woman’s clothing could impact the validity of her prayer. For more information on how to pray with istihada, read this article.
She must fast if it is Ramadan.
She is permitted to recite the Qur’an, touch the Qur’an directly with ablution (wudu), enter a mosque, and perform tawaf with wudu.
She is permitted to engage in marital relations – no matter how heavy the flow.
Mar 23, 2024