What Are the Rulings of Menstruation, Irregular Bleeding, and Tahara for Women with Unusual Cycles?

What Are the Rulings of Menstruation, Irregular Bleeding, and Tahara for Women with Unusual Cycles?

Question
Assalamu Alaykum,
For women who have abnormal, irregular, frequent periods, or bleed for very long periods, what are the rulings of tahara?

Examples:
Case A: 5 days period, stops 9 days, then 4 more days of bleeding.
Case B: 5 days period, stops 9 days, then 13 more days of bleeding.
Case C: Bleeds 17 days straight.

Questions about maximum days, repeated bleeding, minimum purity, and when bleeding becomes istihada.

Answer
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain.

1. The Shar‘i Context

The rulings of menstruation are built on three foundations:

1. A woman has a habit (‘adah) when her cycle is known.
2. If her habit becomes unclear, she relies on the signs of menstrual blood.
3. If signs are unclear or bleeding is irregular, she relies on the maximum limit of 15 days.

These rules apply to all irregular cases.

2. The Maximum Length of Menstruation

According to the majority:
The maximum length of hayd is 15 days.
Anything beyond day 15 is automatically istihada.

This resolves all three scenarios:

• If bleeding stretches beyond 15 days (Case C, or Case B after adding days), day 15 is the end of hayd.
• Bleeding after that is not menstruation.

3. After 15 Days: Ghusl and Praying Even if Bleeding Continues

Yes.
If the bleeding passes 15 days:

• She must make ghusl at the end of day 15
• She becomes taahirah
• She resumes prayer, fasting, Qur’an, ibadah, even while blood continues

Any further blood is istihada.

4. Counting Irregular Cycles (Case A and B)

Case A

5 days hayd
9 days clean
4 days new bleeding
This second bleeding is a new period (since 15-day purity minimum is not required).
So she treats it as a full second period.

Case B

5 days hayd
9 days clean
13 days new bleeding

This second bleeding is a new period, but she may not exceed 15 days total.
So she counts up to day 15 only.
Anything after that becomes istihada.

5. Is There a Minimum Purity Between Two Periods?

The stronger opinion of the majority is:
There is no minimum purity requirement.
So if bleeding stops and returns after a few days, it is treated as a new hayd, unless the bleeding surpasses 15 days total.

6. Bleeding After 15 Days Is Istihada

Yes.
Any blood light, brown, spotting, continuous after day 15 is istihada.
She must:

• Clean herself
• Make wudu before each salah
• Pray normally

She is considered pure.

7. Relevant Usul Principle

اليقين لا يزول بالشك
Certainty is not removed by doubt.
A woman is certain she cannot exceed 15 days of hayd.
Any extra bleeding is doubtful for hayd and therefore becomes istihada by law.

Final Ruling

1. The maximum hayd is 15 days. Any bleeding beyond that is istihada.
2. After day 15 she must make ghusl and pray, even while bleeding.
3. In cases like A and B, the second bleeding counts as a new period unless it causes the total to exceed 15 days.
4. There is no minimum purity time between two periods according to the stronger view.
5. Any bleeding after day 15 is istihada, requiring regular wudu and normal prayer.

And Allah knows best.