424. The fast of a woman who is in the state of istiÎÁÃah kathÐrah is valid if she performs the ghusls which are obligatory for all the daytime prayers. Similarly, based on obligatory precaution she should also have performed the ghusl for the maghrib and ‘ishÁ’‘ prayers of the night before the day she wishes to fast.

425. If a woman becomes a mustaÎÁÃah after ÞaÒr prayers and does not perform her ghusl until sunset, her fast will be in order.

426. If a woman’s state changes from istiÎÁÃah qalÐlah to mutawassiÔah or kathÐrah prior to prayers, she should accordingly perform the acts of a mutawassiÔah or kathÐrah as elaborated earlier. If her state changes from mutawassiÔah to kathÐrah, she should perform the acts of istiÎÁÃah kathÐrah. In fact, even if she had already performed the ghusl of istiÎÁÃah mutawassiÔah, it will be of no benefit and she will have to perform ghusl again for istiÎÁÃah kathÐrah.

427. If a woman’s state changes from istiÎÁÃah mutawassiÔah to kathÐrah in the midst of her prayer, she should discontinue her prayer and perform the ghusl and other duties of istiÎÁÃah kathÐrah. She should then offer the same prayer again, and based on recommended precaution she should also perform wuÃÙ prior to performing ghusl. If she does not have sufficient time to perform ghusl, having performed wuÃÙ, she should perform a tayammum in lieu of ghusl. If she is not afforded the time to perform tayammum either, based on obligatory precaution she should complete her prayer in that state, and offer the qaÃÁ after the time has elapsed.
Similarly, if her state changes from istiÎÁÃah qalÐlah to mutawassiÔah or kathÐrah, she should discontinue her prayer and perform the duties of istiÎÁÃah mutawassiÔah or kathÐrah.

428. If the blood stops flowing in the midst of prayer, and the mustaÎÁÃah does not know whether it has also stopped flowing internally or not, and realizes after completing her prayers that it had stopped flowing, she will have to perform her duties in terms of performing wuÃÙ or ghusl and will have to offer her prayer again.

429. If a woman’s state changes from istiÎÁÃah kathÐrah to mutawassiÔah, she should perform the acts of a kathÐrah for her first prayer and the acts of a mutawassiÔah for subsequent prayers. For example, if prior to Ûuhr prayer, her state changes from istiÎÁÃah kathÐrah to mutawassiÔah, she should perform ghusl for Ûuhr prayer and wuÃÙ for ÞaÒr, maghrib and ‘ishÁ’‘ prayers.
However, if she does not perform ghusl for zuhr prayer, and only has enough time to offer ÞaÒr prayer, she should perform ghusl for ÞaÒr prayer. If she does not do so, she should perform ghusl for maghrib prayer. If she fails to do that, and only has enough time to offer ‘ishÁ’‘ prayer, she should do so for her ‘ishÁ’‘ prayer.

430. If a mustaÎÁÃah kathÐrah stops bleeding for a period before every prayer and then bleeds again, if the interval is sufficient for performing ghusl and offering prayer, she should perform ghusl and offer prayer in that interval. If the interval is not sufficient for prayer in a purified state (with ghusl), then the ghusl that she had performed will suffice. If the interval is sufficient for ghusl and offering a part of the prayer, obligatory precaution dictates that she perform ghusl and offer her prayer in that interval.

431. If a woman’s state changes from istiÎÁÃah kathÐrah to qalÐlah, she must perform the duties of a kathÐrah for her first prayer, and the duties of a qalÐlah for subsequent prayers. Similarly, if one’s state changes from istiÎÁÃah mutawassiÔah to qalÐlah, she should perform the duties of a mutawassiÔah for her first prayer, and the duties of a qalÐlah for subsequent prayers.

432. Even if a mustaÎÁÃah fails to perform one of the duties that are obligatory upon her, her prayer is invalid.

433. Precaution dictates that a mustaÎÁÃah who has performed ghusl or wuÃÙ for prayer is not permitted to allow any part of her body to touch the script of the Qur’an when she is not compelled to do so. If however she is compelled, she may do so, but based on precaution she should perform wuÃÙ.

434. A mustaÎÁÃah who has performed the ghusl that is obligatory upon her, is permitted to go to the mosque, stay in it, recite a verse of the Qur’an that obligates a sajdah, or have intercourse with her husband, even though she may not have performed some of the acts that she used to perform prior to praying, such as changing the cotton and pads. The stronger view is that these acts are also permissible without performing ghusl, although the more precautionary measure is to avoid it.

435. If prior to the time of prayer, a woman in the state of istiÎÁÃah kathÐrah or mutawassiÔah wishes to recite a verse that obligates a sajdah, or wants to go to the mosque, or her husband wants to have intercourse with her, the recommended precaution is that she should perform ghusl.

436. The prayer for signs (ÒalÁt al-ÁyÁt) is obligatory on a mustaÎÁÃah, and to perform it, she should first perform all the duties that were mentioned for daily prayers. Precaution dictates that if she is in the state of istiÎÁÃah kathÐrah, she should also perform wuÃÙ.

437. Whenever the prayer of signs becomes obligatory on a mustaÎÁÃah during the time allocated for one of the daily prayers, she should perform the duties of a mustaÎÁÃah separately for the daily prayer and the prayer for signs, even though she may want to pray one immediately after the other.

438. A mustaÎÁÃah should delay praying her qaÃÁ prayers until she is purified. If the time left for offering the qaÃÁ prayers is nominal, for every qaÃÁ prayer she should perform all the duties that are obligatory upon her for performing adÁ prayers.

439. If a woman knows that the blood being discharged by her is not the blood from a wound, but does not have the rulings of Îayà or nifÁs according to the sharia, then she should act according to the rulings of istiÎÁÃah. In fact, if she doubts whether it is the blood of istiÎÁÃah or another blood, and given that it does not have the signs of the other blood, based on obligatory precaution she should perform the duties of a mustaÎÁÃah.

Íayà is the blood that is usually discharged from a woman’s womb on a monthly basis for a few days. When a woman observes the blood of ÎayÃ, she is known as a ÎÁÞiÃ.

440. The blood of Îayà is usually thick, warm, dark or red in colour, and is discharged with pressure and minor irritation.

441. A woman who completes sixty lunar years becomes a yÁÞisah, and if she observes blood, it is not considered the blood of ÎayÃ. The obligatory precaution is that upon completing fifty lunar years, and until completing sixty, she should combine the rulings of a yÁÞisah and a non-yÁÞisah, be she a qurashiyy or a non-qurashiyy. Therefore, if she observes (blood with) the signs of Îayà during this interval, or observes blood during the days of her regular menses, the obligatory precaution is that she combine the prohibitions of a hÁÞià and the obligations of a mustaÎÁÃah.

442. The blood that is observed by a girl who has not completed nine lunar years is not the blood of ÎayÃ.