1/111. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 283 — Prayer After the Usual Menstrual Period
Those Who Narrated That She Should Not Leave The Prayer After Her Menses Finish
Istihadah Hadith: Wash and Pray After the Menstrual Period Ends
Sunan Abi Dawud : 283
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 283
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، بِإِسْنَادِ زُهَيْرٍ وَمَعْنَاهُ وَقَالَ " فَإِذَا أَقْبَلَتِ الْحَيْضَةُ فَاتْرُكِي الصَّلاَةَ فَإِذَا ذَهَبَ قَدْرُهَا فَاغْسِلِي الدَّمَ عَنْكِ وَصَلِّي " .
Zuhair Narrated from:
This tradition has also been transmitted by Zuhair through a different chain of narrators, to the same effect. He said: When the menstruation begins, you should abandon prayer; when the period equal to its length of time passes, you should wash away the blood and pray.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 283In-book reference : Book 1, Hadith 283English translation : Book 1, Hadith 283
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 283
This narration repeats the same core ruling about istihadah and prayer through another chain. The wording says that when menstruation begins, prayer should be left. Then, when the period equal to its usual length has passed, the woman should wash away the blood and pray. The focus is the known time of menstruation, not the full time of prolonged bleeding. This makes the hadith easy to understand for anyone searching for guidance on prolonged bleeding in Islam. It teaches that the usual menstrual period has a special ruling, while bleeding beyond that is handled differently. The instruction is not vague: stop during the menstrual time, wash afterward, and return to prayer.
What we learn from this hadith
- The usual length of menses is used as the measure.
- Prayer is paused during the menstrual period.
- After that period passes, washing away the blood is mentioned before prayer.
- A different chain supports the same basic meaning.
