Praise be to Allah.
Can Women in Menstruation Enter Ihram?
If a menstruating woman passes the Miqat with the intention of doing Hajj or `Umrah , she is obliged to enter Ihram from the Miqat. It is not permissible for her to delay entering Ihram until she reaches Makkah and becomes pure [i.e., her period ends].
The Sunnah and scholarly consensus indicate that menstruation does not prevent one from entering Ihram , so a woman may enter Ihram even if she is menstruating, but then she should not do `Umrah until she becomes pure and does Ghusl.
Muslim (1210) narrated from Jabir ibn `Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that when Asma’ bint `Umays gave birth at Dhul-Hulayfah, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) instructed Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to tell her to do Ghusl and enter ihram.
The Validity of Ihram for Menstruating Women
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This indicates that the Ihram of women who are bleeding following childbirth or who are menstruating is valid, and that it is recommended for them to do Ghusl when entering Ihram.
Al-Bukhari (1556) and Muslim (1211) narrated that `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), said: We went out with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on the Farewell Pilgrimage. I came to Makkah when I was menstruating and I did not circumambulate the House or do Sa`i between As-Safa and Al-Marwah. I complained about that to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and he said: “Undo your braids and comb your hair (i.e., do Ghusl) and enter Ihram for Hajj…” This was narrated by Al-Bukhari in a chapter entitled: “How menstruating women and women who are bleeding following childbirth should enter ihram.”
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This indicates that menstruating women, women who are bleeding following childbirth, those who have broken their Wudu and those who are in a state of major impurity may do all the actions and say all the words of Hajj except Tawaf and the two Rak`ahs to be prayed afterwards.
Their standing in `Arafah is valid, as are other actions of Hajj. The Ghusl that is prescribed for Hajj is prescribed for menstruating women and others whom we have mentioned above. This indicates that Tawaf on the part of a menstruating woman is not valid . There is scholarly consensus on this point.
It was narrated from Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When menstruating women and women who are bleeding following childbirth come to the Miqat, they should do Ghusl and enter Ihram and do all the rituals apart from Tawaf around the Ka’bah.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud, 1744; classed as authentic by Al-Albani in Sunan Abu Dawud)
Rulings on Rituals during Menstruation
Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Al-Fatawa Al-Kubra, 1/447:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded menstruating women and women who were bleeding following childbirth to enter Ihram and recite the Talbiyah etc, and to attend `Arafah and recite dhikr and Du`a, and to stone the Jamarat remembering Allah, and so on. He did not regard it as makrooh for them to do that, rather that is obligatory for them.
Shaykh Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Majmu` Al-Fatawa (16/126):
When a menstruating woman or a woman who is bleeding following childbirth reaches the Miqat, it is obligatory for her to enter ihram, if that is for an obligatory Hajj or `Umrah. If it is a voluntary pilgrimage and she has already performed the Hajj and `Umrah that are required in Islam, then it is prescribed for her to enter Ihram from the Miqat just like other women who are pure (i.e., not menstruating or bleeding following childbirth).
What If a Woman’s Period Starts Before Ihram?
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
A woman whose period begins before she enters Ihram can enter Ihram while menstruating , because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded Asma’ bint `Umays, the wife of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them both), who gave birth at Dhul-Hulayfah, to do Ghusl and tie a cloth around herself, and enter Ihram. The same applies to menstruating women, and they should remain in Ihram until they become pure (i.e., until their period or Nifas ends and they do Ghusl), then they should do Tawaf around the Ka`bah and Sa`i. (Sittuna Su’alan fi Ahkam Al-Hayd)
And Allah knows best.
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