The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me, "Give up the prayer when your menses begin and when it has finished, wash the blood off your body (take a bath) and start praying."
Hadith Text
The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me, "Give up the prayer when your menses begin and when it has finished, wash the blood off your body (take a bath) and start praying."
Source Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 331
Book: Menstrual Periods
Author: Sahih al-Bukhari
Scholarly Commentary
This hadith establishes the fundamental ruling regarding menstruation and prayer. When a woman experiences the onset of menses, she must immediately cease performing the obligatory prayers. The prohibition is absolute and requires no specific intention.
The completion of menstruation is marked by the cessation of blood flow. Upon this completion, purification requires ghusl (ritual bath), which involves washing the entire body in a specific manner. Only after performing ghusl may she resume her prayers.
This ruling is based on divine wisdom, exempting women from worship during a state of physical discomfort while maintaining the sanctity of prayer. The missed prayers during this period are not required to be made up, as this exemption is a mercy from Allah.
Scholars unanimously agree that this ruling applies to all obligatory prayers. The hadith also implies that other acts of worship requiring purity, such as fasting, tawaf, and touching the Quran, are similarly prohibited during menstruation.