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Ruling 394*

For excessive istiḥāḍah, a woman must, based on obligatory precaution, change or purify with water the piece of cotton [or sanitary pad/absorbent item]. It is also necessary for her to perform one ghusl for ṣubḥ prayers, one for ẓuhr and ʿaṣr prayers, and one for maghrib and ʿishāʾ prayers. Furthermore, she must not delay between ẓuhr and ʿaṣr prayers nor between maghrib and ʿishāʾ prayers; if she delays between them, she must perform ghusl again for ʿaṣr and ʿishāʾ prayers.

All of this applies when blood continuously soaks the piece of cotton [or sanitary pad/absorbent item] and reaches the bottom of it. However, in the event that there is a delay in the blood soaking the piece of cotton [or sanitary pad/absorbent item] and reaching the bottom of it to the extent that the woman can perform one or more prayers in that time, the obligatory precaution is that whenever the blood soaks the piece of cotton [or sanitary pad/absorbent item] and reaches the bottom of it, she must change or purify it with water and perform ghusl. Therefore, if a woman performs ghusl and, for example, she performs ẓuhr prayers but before ʿaṣr prayers or during ʿaṣr prayers blood soaks the piece of cotton [or sanitary pad/absorbent item] and reaches the bottom of it, then again, she must perform ghusl for ʿaṣr prayers based on obligatory precaution. However, in the event that the delay is to the extent that in that time, the woman can perform two or more prayers – for example, she can perform maghrib and ʿishāʾ prayers before blood reaches the bottom of it again – then for those prayers [i.e. maghrib and ʿishāʾ], it is not necessary for her to perform another ghusl. In each case, for excessive istiḥāḍah, ghusl suffices in place of wuḍūʾ.

  • Commentary

    This ruling changed in March 2022. The previous version of the ruling was as follows:

    “For excessive istiḥāḍah, a woman must, based on obligatory precaution, change or purify with water the piece of cotton and the sanitary pad [or other absorbent item]. It is also necessary for her to perform one ghusl for ṣubḥ prayers, one for ẓuhr and ʿaṣr prayers, and one for maghrib and ʿishāʾ prayers. Furthermore, she must not delay between ẓuhr and ʿaṣr prayers nor between maghrib and ʿishāʾ prayers; if she delays between them, she must perform ghusl again for ʿaṣr and ʿishāʾ prayers.
    All of this applies when blood continuously soaks the piece of cotton and reaches the sanitary pad [or other absorbent item]. However, in the event that there is a delay in the blood soaking the piece of cotton and reaching the sanitary pad [or other absorbent item] to the extent that the woman can perform one or more prayers in that time, the obligatory precaution is that whenever the blood soaks the piece of cotton and reaches the sanitary pad [or other absorbent item], she must change or purify them with water and perform ghusl. Therefore, if a woman performs ghusl and, for example, she performs ẓuhr prayers but before ʿaṣr prayers or during ʿaṣr prayers blood soaks the piece of cotton and reaches the sanitary pad [or other absorbent item], then again, she must perform ghusl for ʿaṣr prayers. However, in the event that the delay is to the extent that in that time, the woman can perform two or more prayers – for example, she can perform maghrib and ʿishāʾ prayers before blood reaches the sanitary pad [or other absorbent item] again – then for those prayers [i.e. maghrib and ʿishāʾ], it is not necessary for her to perform another ghusl. In each case, for excessive istiḥāḍah, ghusl suffices in place of wuḍūʾ.”