For Women

​​Sisters can read more information about women related purification, impurities and bath in our associate women website:

www.womanofislam.com​

Purification, Compulsory Bath & Wudu in Islam

CHAPTER 1 - TYPES OF IMPURITIES

1. What is major impurity?

Major impurities are happened when a man or woman having sexual intercourse, discharging semen while awake or asleep, woman finds herself wet due to an erotic dream, blood discharge due to menstrual flow (Haiz), blood discharge due to post childbirth (Nifas) and blood discharge from private parts due to some illness (Istihaza).

If any of the above happened, they should take a full bath or perform Tayammum in order to purify themselves from these major impurities.

2. What is Minor Impurity?

Minor impurity means a person is being without Wudu (ablution). By performing Wudu or Tayammum, he can purify himself from this minor impurity.

♦ What acts should NOT be done at the state of major impurities?

1. Offering prayers (Salah)

2. Staying at Mosque

3. Reading or touching holy Quran

4. Doing Ta’waf of Ka’ba (circumambulating the Kaaba)

5. Learning holy Quran

6. Learning, teaching and reading even a single Quranic verse that comes between the hadith

7. Reading the Quranic verses which are usually read before going to sleep at night

If a woman became major impurity due to bleeding from menstrual flow or post child birth, then in addition to the above, followings also should NOT be done:

8. Fasting

9. Having sexual intercourse

​♦ What can be recited at the state of major impurities?

1. Bismillah can be recited without the intention of reading Quran.

2. Dhikr, Salawat and Dua Masnoon can be recited.

3. Hadiths without having Quranic verses can be recited.

♦ Should women redo (Qadaa) the missed prayers and fastings due to Haiz or Nifas?

A woman is not required to redo the prayers (Salah) which she missed due to bleeding from menstrual flow or child birth. However, she should redo the fastings which she missed during that time.

Note: It is Mustahab (Preferred) when the time of Salah comes, the woman who is having either Haiz or Nifas, to perform Wudu and reciting Kalima, Dhikr and Istighfar (Repentance) for the same time of prayers.

♦ What should a person NOT do at the state of minor impurities (without Wudu)?

1. Offering prayers (Salah)

2. Touching holy Quran.

Note: Without Wudu, Quran can be read, but should not be touched.

♦ What are the rules of impurity for reading and touching Quran?

A person who is in the state of major impurity

- cannot touch Quran

- cannot read Quran

A person who is in the state of minor impurity (i.e without Wudu)

- cannot touch Quran

- can read Quran 

HAIZ

♦ What is Haiz?

Haiz is the blood that is discharged due to menstrual flow. During the time of haiz, women should not pray and fast.

♦ Is a female in Haiz or Nifas untouchable? Is she not allowed to cook, to serve the food, to sit anywhere in the house, to touch the prayer mat and other items, etc?

No. This has no basis in Islam. This is all based on superstition and should be stopped. A woman in Haiz or Nifas should not touch Quran and should not have sexual intercourse only.

♦ What should you do if your menstrual flow has stopped anytime between sunrise and sunset in the month of Ramadan?

Out of respect for Ramadan, you should stop eating and drinking from that time until sunset. However, it is not compulsory and it will not be considered as a fast. Therefore, you should do Qadaa (Redo) that fast later.

♦ What should a fasting woman do if her Haiz begins just before breaking the fast at Maghrib?

Her fast will be nullified and she has to make up for that day (keep Qadaa) after Ramadan.

NIFAS

♦ What is Nifas?

Nifas is the blood that is discharged due to childbirth.

♦ What is the time period for Nifas?

The maximum time for Nifas is 40 days and nights.

♦ What happens if the blood is discharged for more than 40 days?

If this is the woman's first child, the full 40 days and nights is regarded as Nifas. If she cannot remember how long the blood was discharged from a previous childbirth, then the full 40 days and nights is regarded as Nifas. If she bleeds for more than 40 days and nights, it will be Istihaza.

♦ What happens if the woman can remember the length of the last Nifas?

She must regard that number of days that she previously had bleeding as her Nifas and anything more than those days (as long as the total goes over forty days) as Istihaza. For example, if her habit for Nifas is 30 days and this time the bleeding was for 45 days, then the 30 days is Nifas and the rest is Istihaza.

♦ What happens if the woman bleeds for a few days and then the bleeding stops and continues after a few days? Will this still be taken as Nifas?

If at times the blood is discharged and sometimes it stops and continues again, it is still taken as Nifas as long as it is all within the 40 days.

♦ What should a woman do if it stops bleeding before 40 days?

If a woman after childbirth stops bleeding before 40 days, she is to make Nifas Ghusal and start performing her Salaah and not wait until 40 days to perform Ghusal. This is a common mistake many women make.

ISTIHAZA

♦ What is Istihaza?

Istihaza is the blood that is discharged from a woman's private part, but is not due to Haiz or Nifas. It may be due to some illness (e.g. an infection).

♦ During Istihaza, is the Salaah or fast that is missed forgiven or not?

Whilst a woman is in Istihaza, the Salaah and the fasting are not forgiven. She must redo Salaah and fast for the missed days.

CHAPTER 2 - COMPULSORY BATH (GHUSL)

♦ What makes to bath compulsory?

1. Sexual Intercourse

2. At the end of a woman’s menstruation period.

3. At the end of a woman’s post-childbirth bleeding.​

4. If a woman finds herself wet due to an erotic dream.

5. Discharge of semen while awake or asleep.​

♦ What are Fard of Ghusl (Bath)?

Fard means if you do not perform these, your compulsory bath will not be accepted; hence you will not be cleaned from your impurity.

1. Intention

Before starting the bath, you should intend in your heart, not verbally, as “I perform my obligatory bath”

2. Washing the entire body with water, make sure that water reaches all parts of the body, including the roots of hair, inside nose, ears, mouth, bellybutton and armpit. Even if water does not reach to the small portion of the body, the bath will not be accepted. So you have to bath properly.

♦ What are Sunnah of Ghusl (Bath)?

Sunnah of bath means if you perform these, you will get more rewards; however, if you do not perform these, still your bath is valid.

1. Saying Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

2. Washing the hands upto wrist

3. Rinsing the mouth

4. Rinsing the nose

5. Washing the dirt if it is in the body or dress

6. Urinating before the bath

7. Performing a proper wudu

8. Facing Qibla

9. Rubbing and washing the entire body

10. Doing everything three times

♦ What are the important matters to be noted during the compulsory bath?

1. If a woman wears rings, chain, nose ring, ear rings then she should make them aside while bathing and let water reaches those areas.

2. If a woman applied lipstick or nail polish, she should remove them before the bath.

3. While bathing, whether man or womann, should wash ears, nose, belly button and the private parts properly.

4. He or she should make sure that the water reaches full hair.

CHAPTER 3 - WUDU (ABLUTION)

Wudu (Ablution) is needed to purify from the minor impurity. In other words, certain things cannot be done without having wudu.

♦ What should a person NOT do without Wudu (Ablution)?

1. Offering prayers (Salah)

2. Touching holy Quran.

Note: Without Wudu, Quran can be read, but should not be touched.

♦ How to perform wudu (Ablution)?

In wudu some are fard and some are sunnat. Fard are compulsory and sunnat will give additional rewards. Here we have listed out the proper and complete method of wudu.

• If can, facing the Qibla. (Sunnat)

• Saying Auzubillah, Bismillah and salawat. (Sunnat)

• Washing both hands upto the wrists three times. (Sunnat)

• Doing Miswak (Brushing the teeth) (Sunnat)

• Rinsing water to nose and mouth three times. (Sunnat)

• Keeping intention. Intending by heart as "I perform the fard of wudu" (Fard)

• Taking handful of water and wash the full face three times from ear to ear, and forehead to chin making sure that no part of the face is left dry (Fard)

• Washing the both hands upto elbows. First right hand three times. Then left hand three times. (Fard)

• Making wet the fingers with water and wiping the head with wet fingers three times. Either full head or at least some part of the head.  (Fard)

• Making wet the fingers with water and wiping the ears three times by inserting the tips of the index fingers into the ears, twist them around the folds of the ears. (Sunnat)

• Washing both feet up to ankles. First washing right feet three times and then left feet three times. (Fard)

• Performing all the above acts in the same order. (Fard)

• Do not increase the numbers. Perform as mentioned above. (E.g. If it is three times, do it three times. Increasing or decreasing is Makruh (Disliked)

• Increase the area of respective parts. That is, e.g. washing the hands from finger tips to elbows are Fard. However, washing hands more than the elbow is Sunnat.

♦ What is Wudu Dua (Prayer after Ablution)?

Once wudu is completed as mentioned above, recite this dua facing the qibla.

Ash-athu an-laa ilaaha illallaahu wahthahu laa shareeka lahu wa ash-athu anna muhammadan abdahu wa rasooluhu (3 times) - Allahummaj-alnee minat-tawwaabeena wa’ajalnee minal muta tah’hireen. Subhaanaka Allaahumma Wa Bihamdika, 'Ash-Hadu 'An Laa 'Ilaaha 'Illaa 'Anta, 'Astaghfiruka Wa 'Atoobu 'Ilayk.

♦  What are the things that invalidate and break Wudu (Ablution)?

1. Any najis, liquid or solid matter coming out of the private parts and anus like urine, feces, blood, etc.

2. Leaving wind from the anus (farting)

3. If a woman's skin (i.e. without any cover or dress) touches the skin of a ajnabi man (man permitted to marry) then wudu will be invalidated.

If a woman touches her mahram (men forbidden to marry, such as father, brother, son, uncle, etc), then wudu will not be invalidated.

4. To faint for a short or long time.

5. Sleeping, without rear is firmly seated. i.e. if one's rear is firmly seated, sleeping does not break one's wudu. Sleeping positions other than this nullify wudu.

6. Touching the genital area with the palm. (The inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers)

♦ Some women use nail police. It blocks the water to reach the fingers. In this case, that woman's bath or wudu is validated?

No, main condition for the bath and wudu is nothing should block the water to reach the respective parts of body. If something blocks, then that bath or wudu will not be validated.

♦ Can a woman apply powder or cream after performing wudu? Will it invalidate wudu?

No, It will not break wudu, provided the ingredients of the material are not haram. However, avoiding is recommended.

♦ What has to do after wudu if a person wants to drink or eat?

Eating or drinking will not invalidate wudu. However, it is recommended to rinse the mouth three times before to go prayers.