Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh..

Q... A sister is going on Hajj and she has started menstruating, so how will she enter ihram?

Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh

This is a common and important issue regarding the rites of Hajj. The ruling for a menstruating woman is clear in the prophetic tradition.

Validity of Ihram: Menstruation does not prevent a woman from entering the state of Ihram. She can and should enter Ihram at the designated Miqat just like any other pilgrim.

The Prophetic Evidence: In the Farewell Pilgrimage, Asma bint Umays gave birth to Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr at Dhul Hulayfah. When Abu Bakr asked the Prophet ﷺ what she should do, he replied: "Perform Ghusl, pad yourself with a cloth, and enter the state of Ihram." This hadith, found in Sahih Muslim, is the primary evidence for both postpartum bleeding and menstruation.

The Ritual Bath: It is a Sunnah for a menstruating woman to take a bath (Ghusl) before entering Ihram, even though this bath does not lift the state of ritual impurity for prayer. It is for the purpose of cleanliness for the pilgrimage.

Performance of Rites: A woman in her period performs all the actions of Hajj, such as standing at Arafat, staying at Muzdalifah, and stoning the pillars.

The Restriction: The only ritual she is prohibited from performing is the Tawaf of the Kaaba. The Prophet ﷺ told Aisha: "Do everything that a pilgrim does, but do not perform Tawaf around the House until you are clean."

The scholars and the hadith experts are agreed that the state of menstruation is not an obstacle to ihram. In this regard, the complete, reasoned answer is as follows:

Validity of Ihram: Entering ihram in the state of menstruation is completely permissible and valid. Such a sister will make the intention for ihram at the miqat and call the talbiyah.

Shariah Evidence: On the occasion of the Farewell Hajj, Asma bint Umays, the wife of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, began nifas (the blood after childbirth) at the place of Dhul Hulayfah. The Prophet ﷺ ordered her to perform ghusl, tie a cloth as a pad, and begin the ihram. Since the rulings of menstruation and nifas are the same in this matter, a menstruating woman will also enter ihram in the same way. (Sahih Muslim)

Ghusl for Ihram: Even in the state of menstruation, performing ghusl for ihram is a Sunnah. This ghusl is for cleanliness and preparation for ihram, although purity for prayer is not obtained by it.

The Other Rites of Hajj: After entering ihram, that woman will perform all the rites of Hajj, that is, she will go to Arafat, stay in Muzdalifah, and pelt the Jamarat with pebbles.

Prohibition of Tawaf: In the state of menstruation, only performing tawaf of the House of Allah is forbidden. When Sayyidah Aishah started menstruating during Hajj, the Prophet ﷺ said that she should do all the works that a pilgrim does, but should not perform tawaf of the House until she becomes pure. (Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Summary: Such a woman will perform ghusl at the miqat, enter ihram, and make the intention. She will perform all the adhkar and rites, except tawaf. When she becomes pure, then, after performing ghusl, she will perform Tawaf al-Ziyarah.

Translated from the original Urdu fatwa.