Faith Uninterrupted: Navigating Prayer Practices During Your Menstrual Cycle

We’ll start this article with a bold (perhaps provocative?) statement.

"Menstruation is a mercy"

Yes, we hear your objections! As justified as you are, would you grace us with your time so we can divulge what we mean by this?

Pre, post and during menstruation, a woman will attest to the ailments that besiege her. Migraines, cramps, nausea, backaches, tender breasts, dizziness, tiredness… the list is endless. And these are only the physical ailments. Women will also tell you about the emotional rollercoaster they ride during their menses. SubhanAllah, it really is a web of physical and emotional intricacies that is challenging to understand and grasp the full reality of.

So, it is no wonder that menstruation can seem like a medieval torture device women are subjected to regularly! This is why we totally understand your remonstrations against the ‘menstruation is a mercy’ statement.

Let’s read the following hadith (tradition) of the Prophet (peace be upon him) narrated by companions Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri and Abu Huraira:

“No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 5641, 5642]

It is so consoling to hear that all discomfort, anxiety, and pain is recompensated by Allah either by erasing some of a person’s wrongdoings or rewarding them in some other way. It will also be reassuring for us to realize then that any suffering induced by a woman’s menses (pre/during/post) will ultimately be a means of expiation or reward. Not a moment of endurance or hardship is unnoticed by our Merciful Rabb (Lord).

Disclaimer: this is by no means an argument to be used to encourage women to suffer in silence. Just putting it out there - women deserve sympathy, empathy and recognition!

As well as being rewarded for the pain and discomfort a woman experiences during her menses, there are other mercies written for us by Allah, The Most Merciful. What are these mercies, you ask? First, the very fact that a woman does not read salaah is a blessing in disguise! The impermissibility of salaah is not a curse or a punishment but an act of love – Islam recognizes the physical and mental fatigue a woman experiences and in response, takes away the responsibility of the five daily salaah so that she may rest. Second, though a woman is commanded not to pray, she is showered with the same rewards assigned to her when she usually offers her salaah.

Let’s picture this. It is time for Fajr in the dead of the morning. According to your normal routine, you would roll out of your warm bed and make your way to the bathroom to perform wudhu despite it being cold and crisp. You would read your Fajr and perhaps recite some Qur’an or engage in dhikr as is your routine. Some days you would go back to bed, others, you begin your day. The blessings that are showered down upon you, only Allah can speak of. But today, you are menstruating. So, it is not a normal routine for you. You do not have to get up, and instead you may rest for some time longer in your warm bed. Your feet do not feel the cold of the floor, and you are not awakened by the water that splashes your face as you make wudhu. Despite this, Allah Almighty still records in your Book of Deeds a reward for you. Why? By not praying, you are submitting to Allah’s command for you during your menses. That’s one reward.

The second comes from the habit you have created. Abu Musa reported: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“If a person falls ill or travels, the likes of what he used to do when he was settled and healthy will be recorded for him.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 2834]

Isn’t that incredible? Though you are unable to pray salaah, you are still eligible for all the rewards of those salaah that you would perform on a non-menstruating day.

Hopefully, we have now justified our ‘menstruation is a mercy’ statement!

This takes us to the focus of our article: what is a woman to do during her menstruation? All our ladies will be able to attest to feeling down whilst being unable to pray or finding prayer challenging after having had a ‘break’ for a few days.  So as our title asks, how does she keep the (metaphorical) motivational salaah cogs spinning? And actually, this is somewhat relevant to our male counterparts too, because we all experience peaks and dips in our motivation; no salaah journey is linear.  

So, what we’ll do is provide some general motivational tips as well as particulars a woman could engage in so that all of us may procure some benefit insha’Allah.

What to do during menses

(Consider this your concise and comprehensive guide to beating the menstruation blues reds!)

1. If possible, try and perform wudhu come every salaah time. Being in a state of wudhu regardless of prayer is a virtuous act. There are numerous ahadith renumerating the virtues of wudhu but just as an example, angels watch over and seek forgiveness for the person who sleeps “purified” i.e. in a state of wudhu. Beyond the virtues, the act of performing wudhu will keep you feeling just that little bit closer to Allah; perhaps even more special knowing that you are choosing to make wudhu despite not really having to. While a menstruating woman will not gain ritual purity from performing ablution, she will however be rewarded as the act of ablution is a rewarding act in itself.
   
   
2. Mentally reconnect with your prayer habit. What do we mean by this? Take some time to engage in any of the suggestions listed below. You may wish to sit in your designated prayer spot for this or you may continue from wherever you are in that momentIf you do decide to go to your usual prayer spot,you may decide not to do anything; just sit there for a few moments or more spiritually recalibrating knowing that even without praying, Allah is rewarding you.If you do decide to do something (regardless of where you are), here are a few suggestions:
   
   
• Listen to the recitation of the Qur’an. Just let the sweet melody wash over you as you sit in peaceful solitude
  
  
• Could you take this time to study a verse of the Qur’an? This could be the translation or the tafseer (commentary) of those verses. What would be extremely powerful is studying those verses read regularly in salah such as Surah Fatiha. This will give you an understanding of what is being recited/what you are reciting and one implication of this inshaAllah is an increase in the quality of ‘khushu’ and ‘khudhu’ (humility and tranquillity) in your salah. All of us can attest to the joy of understanding something and the spark it inspires in wanting to know and learn more.
  
  
• Engage in dhikr (remembrance of Allah). We love the idea of reflecting on our days, our goals and endeavours, our hardships and realising Allah’s qualities within them. You might have observed the beauty of the sunrise for example that morning, so ponder over the beauty of Allah within his name: al-Jameel (The Most Beautiful).
  
  
• Explore salaah! Read about its virtues – if it is time for ‘Asr for example, what are the benefits and virtues of this salah? Perhaps you could focus on learning about one very specific aspect of salah to help you better it, physically or spiritually. This will build the anticipation and excitement for when you can pray again and hopefully put what you have learnt into practice.
  
  
• Last but not least, make du’a. The thought of du’a though can sometimes be daunting right? What should I ask for? How should I ask for it? Am I worthy for the things I am asking? Just think of it as the precursor to the conversation one has in salah. Allah has given us all the du’as we need to make in salah (take Surah Fatiha as an example: in Ayah (verse) 6, we ask for guidance on the right path) Now (what normally would be the end of your salah had you been praying) we can ask for whatever we want knowing Allah’s ability to give is limitless. Our tip? Just talk to him as you would a friend. Don’t worry about the technicalities. Just do and you will get better at asking in a way that is worthy of The Giver of all things.

 Maintaining this psychology of routine will keep the momentum and motivation going. Insha’Allah, perhaps you will find yourself navigating your relationship with prayer  during your menses – or when you hit a rocky patch in your motivation – a smoother process. All you have to do is keep showing up even if that just looks like you sitting doing absolutely nothing on your prayer mat!

Any other tips that you could share? Is there anything you’ve tried and tested?