The same applies to standing at Arafāt. Suppose someone could stand there before or after its prescribed time, but not within it: standing outside that time would not suffice, by scholarly consensus. Tawāf al-ifādah (the obligatory circumambulation) is prescribed after standing at Arafāt, and its time is the Day of Sacrifice and thereafter. Whether it suffices after midnight on the eve of the Day of Sacrifice is a well-known point of disagreement.

Once these four alternatives have been shown to be invalid, the remaining alternative is (the fifth): she does whatever she can, and whatever she cannot do is waived. This is what the scriptural texts applicable to this case and analogous established principles indicate. It does not contradict those principles. The texts indicating that ritual purity is obligatory, such as the Prophet’s saying (peace and blessings be upon him),

“A menstruating woman performs all the pilgrimage rites except tawāf around the House,”

merely establish the obligation in general terms. They are like his sayings:

“If any of you breaks his state of ritual purity, he must not pray until he performs ablution.”

“Allah does not accept the prayer of any of you until he performs ablution.”

“Allah does not accept the prayer of a woman who has reached puberty unless she wears a head covering.”

“Scrape it off, then rub it with your fingertips, then wash it, then pray in it.”

“No one may perform tawāf around the House naked.”

The same applies to similar texts.

It is known that all these obligations are conditional upon ability, as Allah Most High says:

“So fear Allah as much as you are able.”

And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“When I command you to do something, do as much of it as you can.”

This exhausts the possible alternatives. Once it is clear that she cannot be ordered to remain when she is unable to do so and would suffer harm to herself