QUESTION: How should a woman purify herself from janaabah when she is menstruating? If she purifies herself from janaabah when she is menstruating, should she do wudoo and take three handfuls of water then wash her right side then her left side? Or should she just wash herself without doing wudoo because she is also menstruating? Is she cleansed of janaabah and is only menstruating, or what?
ANSWER: Praise be to Allaah. If a menstruating woman becomes junub, or she is junub and her period begins, it is prescribed for her to do ghusl to cleanse herself from janaabah. The point here is that she will then be able to recite Quraan without touching the Mus-haf, because the one who is junub is not allowed to touch the Quraan, unlike one who is menstruating. The way in which this ghusl is done, as in all other cases prescribed by shareeah, is to start by washing the parts of the body that are washed in wudoo, then pour three handfuls of water over the head, then wash the right side then the left, then pour water over the whole of the body. Thus janaabah isremoved but menstruation remains.
Ibn Quddaamah (RAH) said in al-Mughni (11134): "If she does ghusl from janaabah at the time when she is menstruating, her ghusl is valid and the ruling on janaabah no longer applies to her. This was stated by Ahmad who said: "The janaabah is removed but the menses is not, until the flow of blood ceases". He said: "I do not know of anyone who said that she does not have to do ghusl except 'Ataa, but it was also narrated that he said that she should do ghusl. And Allaah knows best."
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited