Must a woman who suffers from gonadal insufficiency and whose menstrual period lasts throughout the month fast in Ramadan while undergoing treatment?
If a woman experiences bleeding throughout the entire month, she is considered to have Istihadah (prolonged non-menstrual vaginal bleeding), and there are three scenarios for her:
1. She has a previously known regular period: She refrains from prayer and fasting for the duration of her customary period, then performs Ghusl (ritual purification bath) and prays and fasts for the remainder of the month. 2. She does not have a known regular period or has forgotten it: She relies on discrimination (tamyiz). If the blood is black, has an unpleasant odor, and is thick, then it is menses (hayd). Any other type of bleeding is Istihadah, and she should pray and fast with it. 3. She is unable to discriminate: She considers herself to be in menses for six or seven days (as this is the common duration of menstruation among women), then performs Ghusl, prays, and fasts.
These scenarios are supported by authentic Ahadith (prophetic traditions), including the Hadith of Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh in Al-Bukhari and An-Nasa'i, and the Hadith of Hamnah bint Jahsh in At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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