The Case of Fasting during Menses: Major or Minor One

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع الْحَائِضُ تَقْضِي الصَّوْمَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ تَقْضِي الصَّلَاةَ قَالَ لَا قُلْتُ مِنْ أَيْنَ جَاءَ هَذَا قَالَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ قَاسَ إِبْلِيسُ.

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), if a woman experiencing Hayd (menses) is required to complete Qada’ (compensatory fast) of the fast. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, she is required to complete its Qada’ (compensatory fast).’ I then asked if she is required to perform Qada’ (compensatory salat) of Salat (prayer)?’ He (t

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ أَصْبَحَتْ صَائِمَةً فَلَمَّا ارْتَفَعَ النَّهَارُ أَوْ كَانَ الْعَشِيُ‌[2] حَاضَتْ أَ تُفْطِرُ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ إِنْ كَانَ وَقْتُ الْمَغْرِبِ فَلْتُفْطِرْ قَالَ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ رَأَتِ الطُّهْرَ فِي أَوَّلِ النَّهَارِ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ فَتَغْتَسِلُ وَ لَمْ تَطْعَمْ فَمَا تَصْنَعُ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ قَالَ تُفْطِرُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ فَإِنَّمَا فِطْرُهَا مِنَ الدَّمِ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a woman who gets up in the morning fasting but when the day rises or in the evening experiences Hayd (menses), if she can stop fasting. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, even if it is al-Maghrib (sunset), she can stop fasting.’ I then asked him (the Imam) about the case of

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ تَطْمَثُ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَغِيبَ الشَّمْسُ قَالَ تُفْطِرُ حِينَ تَطْمَثُ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a woman who experiences Hayd (menses) in the month of Ramadan before sunset. He (the Imam) said, ‘She must stop fasting at the time she finds Hayd (menses).”’

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ تَلِدُ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ أَ تُتِمُّ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ أَمْ تُفْطِرُ قَالَ تُفْطِرُ وَ تَقْضِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ.

‘She must stop fasting, and complete Qada’ (compensatory fast) of that day.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْمُسْتَحَاضَةِ قَالَ فَقَالَ تَصُومُ‌ شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ إِلَّا الْأَيَّامَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ تَحِيضُ فِيهِنَّ ثُمَّ تَقْضِيهَا بَعْدَهُ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a woman who experiences Istihadah. He (the Imam) said, ‘She is required to fast in the month of Ramadan except for the days during which she used to experience Hayd (menses) and thereafter complete its Qada’ (compensatory fast).”’

كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ع امْرَأَةٌ طَهُرَتْ مِنْ حَيْضِهَا أَوْ مِنْ دَمِ نِفَاسِهَا فِي أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ ثُمَّ اسْتَحَاضَتْ فَصَلَّتْ وَ صَامَتْ شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ كُلَّهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ تَعْمَلَ مَا تَعْمَلُ الْمُسْتَحَاضَةُ مِنَ الْغُسْلِ لِكُلِّ صَلَاتَيْنِ فَهَلْ يَجُوزُ صَوْمُهَا وَ صَلَاتُهَا أَمْ لَا فَكَتَبَ ع تَقْضِي صَوْمَهَا وَ لَا تَقْضِي صَلَاتَهَا إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص كَانَ يَأْمُرُ ف

“I once wrote to him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a woman who becomes clean of Hayd (menses) or childbirth bleeding on the first day of the month of Ramadan. She then experiences istihadah, she performs Salat (prayer) and fasts in all of the month of Ramadan without doing what a woman experiencing istihadah is

نَعَمْ وَ إِنْ كَانَ قَبْلَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَلْتُفْطِرْ وَ عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ تَرَى الطُّهْرَ مِنْ أَوَّلِ النَّهَارِ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ لَمْ تَغْتَسِلْ وَ لَمْ تَطْعَمْ كَيْفَ تَصْنَعُ بِذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ قَالَ إِنَّمَا فِطْرُهَا مِنَ الدَّمِ.

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a woman who gets up fasting but when the day rises or it becomes evening, she experiences Hayd (menses), if she stops fasting. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, she is required to stop fasting even if it is before al-Maghrib.’ I asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ مَرِضَتْ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ وَ مَاتَتْ فِي شَوَّالٍ فَأَوْصَتْنِي أَنْ أَقْضِيَ عَنْهَا قَالَ هَلْ بَرَأَتْ مِنْ مَرَضِهَا قُلْتُ لَا مَاتَتْ فِيهِ فَقَالَ لَا تَقْضِ عَنْهَا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَمْ يَجْعَلْهُ عَلَيْهَا قُلْتُ فَإِنِّي أَشْتَهِي أَنْ أَقْضِيَ عَنْهَا وَ قَدْ أَوْصَتْنِي بِذَلِكَ قَالَ كَيْفَ تَقْضِي عَنْهَا شَيْئاً لَمْ يَجْعَلْهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهَا فَإِنِ اشْتَ

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a woman who became ill in the month of Ramadan and dies in the month of Shawwal. She asked me, in her will, to complete Qada’ (compensatory fast), on her behalf. He (the Imam) asked, ‘Did she get well from her illness?’ I replied, ‘No, she did not get well, but she

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ مَرِضَتْ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ أَوْ طَمِثَتْ أَوْ سَافَرَتْ فَمَاتَتْ قَبْلَ خُرُوجِ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ هَلْ يُقْضَى عَنْهَا قَالَ أَمَّا الطَّمْثُ وَ الْمَرَضُ فَلَا وَ أَمَّا السَّفَرُ فَنَعَمْ‌[2].

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of a woman who becomes ill in the month of Ramadan, or experiences Hayd (menses) or travels and then dies before the month of Ramadan ends: if she owes to carry out Qada’ (compensatory fast). He (the Imam) said, ‘Because of Hayd (menses) and illness there is no Qada’ (com

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ تَنْذِرُ عَلَيْهَا صَوْمَ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ قَالَ تَصُومُ وَ تَسْتَأْنِفُ أَيَّامَهَا الَّتِي قَعَدَتْ حَتَّى تُتِمَّ شَهْرَيْنِ قُلْتُ أَ رَأَيْتَ إِنْ هِيَ يَئِسَتْ مِنَ الْمَحِيضِ أَ تَقْضِيهِ قَالَ لَا تَقْضِي يُجْزِئُهَا الْأَوَّلُ.

"I asked Abu Abdullah (a.s.) about a woman who vows to fast for two consecutive months. He (a.s.) said: 'She should fast, and if she stops due to menstruation, she should resume her fasting days until she completes the two months.' I asked, 'What if she has reached menopause and no longer menstruates? Should she make u

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع إِنَّ امْرَأَتِي جَعَلَتْ عَلَى نَفْسِهَا صَوْمَ شَهْرَيْنِ فَوَضَعَتْ وَلَدَهَا وَ أَدْرَكَهَا الْحَبَلُ فَلَمْ تَقْوَ عَلَى الصَّوْمِ قَالَ فَلْتَتَصَدَّقْ مَكَانَ كُلِّ يَوْمٍ بِمُدٍّ عَلَى مِسْكِينٍ.[4]

“I once said to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), that my woman had placed upon herself fasting for two months. She gave birth; then became pregnant. She is not able to fast. He (the Imam) said, ‘She is required to pay charity of one mud (certain measurement) for everyday to a destitute person.’”