Rafed English
site.site_name : Rafed English

The girl who reaches the age of puberty and sees her menstruation for the first time is known as mub­tadi'ah = the beginner.

If a mubtadi'ah sees blood with the three signs for more than three and less than ten days, then it is menstruation.

But if a mubtadi'ah sees blood for more than ten days, then there are a few possibilites:

1. The blood was with the three signs for some days and without them for some other days, then the former is menstruation and the latter is istihazah.

2. The blood had the three signs during the entire flow but with a difference in intensity of colour, that is, some days it had black colour and some other days it had red or dark red colour. In this case the flow with black colour will be considered menstruation and the other will be considered istihazah.

3. If the entire flow was without the three signs or the flow with the three signs was less than three days, then the entire flow will be considered istihazah.

4. If the blood had the three signs during the entire flow, then the mubtadi'ah has to follow the number­pattern of the women in her family, e.g., her mother, sister, etc. That is, if her mother's monthly period comes for six days, then she should consider the six days as menstruation and the remaining days as istihazah.

But if the women in a beginner's family differ in the number-pattern of their monthly periods, then during the first month she should observe six or seven days as menstruation and act on precaution up to the tenth day. In the subsequent months she should observe the first three days as menstruation and act on precaution up to sixth or seventh day. This alternate pattern should be continued until she forms a fixed pattern of her own.

If a girl loses her virginity and blood is discharged so much that she is uncertain whether the blood is from the loss of virginity or menstruation or both, then she should examine herself "by inserting a piece of cotton inside her vagina and leave it there for a while. Then she should take it out gently - if the blood has just stain­ed the outside of the cotton, then it is from the loss of virginity; but if the blood has penetrated into the cot­ton, then it is menstruation." 7

If she is unable to examine herself, then she should consider herself whatever she was before losing virginity - either she was pure from menstruation or not.

Notes:

7. As explained by Imam Musa al-Kazim (peace be upon him) to Khalaf bin Hammad al-Kufi. See al-'Amili, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 535.

Adopted from the book : "The Ritual Ablutions for Women (Taharatu N-Nisa')" by : "Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi"