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» 17th June 2009
Lesson 2: Basic terminology
As-salaamu'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh
It was all I could do to stifle my laughter when a young student about to sit a TAJWEED exam asked me: "Miss, just one question: What's istihaadha?"
Obviously, she'd unwittingly added the 'haa' and turned isti'aadha (seeking refuge in Allah) into istihaadha (abnormal vaginal bleeding) !
= any coloured discharge which exits through the vagina - yes that includes black, red, brown, green yellow and all non-white colours... I know, you're thinking GREEN ! ? ! ... trust me, it's not unheard of especially in the older generations when they're approaching menopausal age.
= the regular vaginal bleeding of women caused by the break-down of the padding of the uterus wall. Its minimum duration is 72 hours, and its maximum duration is 240 hours.
= the bleeding which occurs after the birth of a child - again the shedding of the uterus wall. There is no minimum duration, but the maximum is 960 hours.
= bleeding which occurs besides menstruation and lochia
= a timespan wherein there is no valid bleeding (haidh/nifaas) The minimum duration of a valid tuhr is 15 days (360 hours)
Now that's the basic vocabulary, which most people are familiar with, but an important point to note at this stage is that bleeding and tuhr (purity) are of two types - actual and legal. This means that there may be a time when you are bleeding, but because this bleeding is invalid, your legal status is that of purity. Similarly, there may be a time when you are not bleeding, but for legal purposes you are in a state of haidh/nifaas. But note that this 'state' is only established in hindsight and that the obligation to fast and pray will be determined on a day-to-day basis.
Due to this complexity, one will apply certain rules during a scenario, but will revise the validity of the actions after things become clear.
Again, this emphasises the necessity of keeping an accurate record of one's bleeding.
Also, those of us who have a beginners knowledge of the rulings related to haidh usually pay little attention to the timespan between periods - the tuhr.
The duration of the tuhr along with the duration of the bleeding is what constitutes a habit. So one can be said to have a 7/24 habit which would mean that they experience 7 days menstrual bleeding followed by 24 days of purity.
If any of this post has confused you, please do leave a message and I will try my best to clarify it further. Perhaps my style of English is unclear. If so, please do bring it to my attention and I'll try to deal with it, in shaa Allah.
» posted by shahly on 17th June 2009 - 0 comments
» 5th June 2009
A compliment
As-salaamu'alaykum wa raHmatullah
Is not the complexity of the fiqh of menstruation a compliment to the intelligence of womenfolk? That the fuqaha have derived and contrived such rulings which fall firmly within the category of our 'ilm-ul-haal surely lends favour to the recognition of our intellectual capacity. (If I'm sounding like a defensive feminist, be assured that it's for your amusement alone!)
So, sisters, let's strive to acquire the necessary knowledge and understanding by which we can correctly conduct our lives according to that which has been passed down to us through our scholarly predecessors. Let us sharpen our intellect with that which truly concerns us.
Alhamdulillah, I acquired a copy of the excellent work of Ustadha Hedaya Hartford and Brother Ashraf Muneeb: 'Birgivi's Manual Interpreted' when I undertook the introductory course on the Fiqh of Menstruation offered by Sunnipath. However, I confess to not having studied the book in much depth until recently. Revisiting the text with renewed interest, I've come to find the calculated logic of its rulings fascinating, and therefore hope to post a series of entries summarising what I've learnt as concisely and simply as I can. I humbly request that my respected elders and those who have studied this fiqh read my entries and notify me of any mistakes. Jazaakumullahu khairun.
To begin - and all studies must begin with lesson one - I'd like to share this record-keeping chart, since the first principle is that every woman should maintain an accurate record of all her vaginal bleeding, because without it, the application of the rulings is extremely difficult! It might be tempting for those who have a regular, perfectly predictable habit to be lax in keeping a record, but it's only when things go awry that the record becomes indispensible.
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Lesson 1:
Keep a record.
Keep a record.
Keep a record.
If this reads like a broken record, it's cos' you've got to ...
Keep a record!
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Sorry, but the pleasure of pristine prose must be sacrificed at the altar of understanding.
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Don't be a muhayyara: a confused woman, or one that causes confusion (to the scholars). 'Muhayyara' is the name given to a woman who has failed to keep a record, and thus has no habit to refer to.
Let's do ourselves the favour of preserving our intellectual integrity, albeit only that portion which Allah in His infinite wisdom has bestowed upon us.
As they say: If you don't use it, you'll lose it.
Yearly Menstrual/Lochial Record Chart
(Taken from Birgivi's Manual Interpreted, Hedaya Hartford & Ashraf Muneeb)
» posted by shahly on 5th June 2009 - 1 comment
» 8th April 2009
When ascending a height...
Alhamdulillah, studying the words of our beloved Prophet Muhammad is one of the most pleasing of all occupations. The depth and wisdom of his words can never be fully grasped, because his knowledge was divinely inspired. But occasionally, delicate rays of understanding cast their light through our conscious minds.
Each hadith compilation one ever has the chance to study invariably becomes one's favourite... at least until they discover the next. Alhamdulillah, this year, we're studying Riyadh-us-Saaliheen, the famous compilation of authentic prophetic narrations as collected and recorded by Imam Abu Zakariyya Yahya bin Sharaf An-Nawawi Ad-Damashqi.
In the Book of Travel, we learn that the Prophet and his companions would pronounce takbeer on ascending any elevation in the land and pronounce tasbeeh upon descent into any decline or valley.
Pondering on this brought to mind the image of a person on a mountain peak, arms outstretched in celebration of his achievement; an expression of his sense of grandeur... common on motivational posters in executive offices !
And then the childish rhyme which would be chanted from atop every climbing frame and tower in the playground back in my days: "I'm the king of the castle, get down you dirty rascal"
The instinctive mental response of a person, young or old, when they ascend a height is that it heightens within them a sense of superiority.
And how best to quell this but to remember that Allah is the Greatest, and pronounce takbeer !
Remember this well, and earn the true and honoured status of a humble slave of the Almighty Allah.
The scholars say that we can practice this sunnah of takbeer and tasbeeh within our homes every time we ascend or descend the stairs.
The remembrance of Allah is what measures the worth and success of our day.
A takbeer or tasbeeh pronounced with presence of heart is invaluable! Only on the Day that our deeds are weighed will we appreciate its true worth!
» posted by shahly on 8th April 2009 - 1 comment
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