Women's Issues

Q: My sister has a menstrual problem. She is memorising the Quran.  Is it permissible for her to recite the Quran without touching it during her menses period?

Q: How many menstrual cycles does a single lady who was raped observe before getting married?

Q: My wife needs to do hijama (cupping) and her brother is doing hijama treatment. Can she do hijama by her brother? Is this allowed in Islam? 

Q: I have a few doubts regarding a woman's impurity after child delivery. I request you to please provide all answers with references so that I can educate my wife and other dependent ladies at my home

1. Exactly how long does a woman remain impure after child delivery? There is an old woman's saying that 40 days is the minimum period. If a woman's bleeding stops after 7 days, but she has irregular bleeding every alternate day or once in 3 days, what will the period be?

2. After the impurity period, can she do everything like praying, reading Quran and physical relationship with her husband?

3. Does she have to make up for the missed prayers during her impurity?

Q: Is it permissible for a lady in the state of haidh to make duaa whilst in the sajdah position (without intention of salaah)?

Q: My wife wants to start a business doing laser hair removal. My question is that if she does it, she will be seeing ladies parts thats supposed to be covered like the legs, is it okay or not? If not then what if she employs someone to do that job?

Q: Who can be called foster brothers and sisters?

Q: Please advise as per Shaafi mazhab.

I had a miscarriage 2 weeks ago. The blood test showed pregnancy on Tuesday, on Wednesday I bled, and on Thursday the miscarriage was confirmed. I bled from Thursday till the following week Friday. I took ghusl and then I was ok until Tuesday, when I saw blood and now I'm not sure anymore.

Q: I have clear and also yellowish discharge on a daily basis. I may begin my period in 4/5 days. I’m getting yellowish discharge - but this is, as I said, normal for me. However, I’m also getting lower abdomen pain. Like a twinging feeling - it seems a little similar to cramps. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to count this as haidh. What usually happens to me every month is, I see brownish discharge (which is old blood, so I know for sure it is hayd) then I see regular brown/red blood. But if yellow discharge is considered blood, then what do I do in this situation? Some women go through something called ‘pre-menstrual syndrome’ a week or two before our periods. I’m not sure if the cramp like feelings are a result of this syndrome or not or even something else.

Q: I wish to ask about women observing purdah in a joint family system. I got married three months ago in a joint family system. Before marriage, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala , blessed me and I was able to follow sharia rules strictly in my father’s home. We have no television at home, we only went out for necessities, and we studied school up to primary level and stayed back home and studied A level through online studies. Alhamdullilah, we observed right purdah as per sharia rulings in my father’s home. After marriage, my husband has given me a separate room. He has four young brothers and a sister living together with their mother in the same house.

My mother in law often asks me to sit together with all the family members including her sons when they gather for lunch, dinner and tea time. My husband remains quiet although he understands that this order from his mother is against the law of purdah and this gathering is illegitimate in the law of sharia for me to sit.

Secondly my mother in law asks me to open my face in the house and mingle with family members, talk and smile. I intend to ask the following question as per sharia rulings:

1. Can I sit in congregation as my mother in law desires?

2. Can I open my face in the house as my mother in law desires?

3. Can I talk in a voice that is loud enough to go in the ears of my husband’s brothers while sitting together.

4. Can I hear the voice of my husband's brothers while sitting in a congregation.

5. If I observe the ruling of the house, open my face, sit in congregation, talk loudly so that others can hear and listen to the talk of na mahram, who will be responsible for these sins. As you know that a woman is weak and helpless in Asian societies.