Permissible and impermissible things for menstruating women

A: All praise be to Allah Alone, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger, and his family and Companions. When a woman has her menstrual period, she must stop offering Salah and observing Sawm until she is purified, then she should make up for the days in which she broke her Sawm in Ramadan, but she does not need to make up for the prayers she missed, based on what is reported by Al-Bukhari and others regarding the clarification which the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave about the lack women have in religion, for he (peace be upon him) said: “Is it not true that when she menstruates, she neither offers Salah nor observes Sawm?” Supporting evidence is also found in the Hadith reported by Al-Bukhari, Muslim and others on the authority of Mu‘adhah that she asked `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) saying: “Why is that a menstruating woman has to make up for the missed days of Sawm (fast), but not for the missed Salah (prayers)?” `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “Are you a Harori (from Harowraa village where Khawarij lived: some sects of Khawarij obliged women to make up for missed Salah during menstruation period)?” She said, “No, I am not. I am just asking.” ‘Aishah said, “When we experienced this (menstruation) (at the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him), we were commanded to make up for the fasts but we were not commanded to make up for the prayers.” This is out of the Mercy and Kindness of Allah (Exalted be He) towards women, for Salah has to be performed five times a day, while menstruation happens once every month; therefore, Allah exempted women from the obligation of praying and making up for the missed prayers due to the hardship that this would impose. However, as Sawm is prescribed only once a year (during the month of Ramadan), Allah exempted women from fasting during their menstrual periods and commanded them to make up for the missed days of Sawm after these periods are over to achieve the Islamic legal benefit of this. (Part No. 5; Page No. 395) May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.