- Before purity, it takes on the rulings of menstruation as subsidiary to menstruation itself, since one of the principles of jurisprudence is: “What is established incidentally is not established independently.” After purity, however, it is separate, and it is not the blood concerning which Allah says, “It is a harm.” Thus, it is like the other fluids that issue from a woman’s private parts and does not take the ruling of menstruation.
If a woman sees blood for one day and purity for one day, then the blood is menstruation and the purity is a state of purity, so long as it does not exceed its maximum duration. A woman suffering from irregular bleeding, and others in similar circumstances, should wash her private parts, bind them, perform ablution for the time of each prayer, and pray both obligatory and voluntary prayers. She is not to be approached sexually except where there is fear of hardship. It is recommended for her to perform a ritual bath for each prayer.
His statement: “If a woman sees blood for one day and purity for one day, then the blood is menstruation and the purity is a state of purity.”
For example, a woman sees blood for one day and purity for one day: when the call to the sunset prayer is made, she sees blood; and when the call to the sunset prayer is made on the following day, she sees purity.
The ruling revolves around its effective cause. Thus, a day of menstruation carries the rulings of menstruation, while a day of purity carries the rulings of purity. This is entailed by Allah’s saying: “Say, ‘It is a harm, so keep away from women during menstruation.’” [al-Baqarah 2:222] As long as the harm—that is, the blood—is present, it is menstruation; and when she becomes free of it, she is in a state of purity. Accordingly, we require the woman to perform a ritual bath three times over six days.
The second view is that a day and a half-day are not considered a state of purity (1), because women commonly become dry for a day or a night even during menstruation, yet do not regard this as purity or consider themselves pure during this period; rather, they wait expectantly.