8. Is It Allowed To Take Pills To Delay Your Menses

By Asma bint Shameem

QUESTION

Is it allowed to take the  pills to delay your menses?

ANSWER

It’s allowed to use these tablets to prevent menses if they re not harmful for you.

The Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas said:

“It is permissible for a woman to use pills to delay her period at the time of Hajj if she fears she may get her period, but that is only after consulting a specialized doctor to make sure that this will not affect her health.

She may do likewise in Ramadhaan if she wants to fast with the people.”(Fataawa al-Jaami’ah li’l-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, 2/495)

However, having said that, speaking as a doctor, I *discourage* their use because even if there are no contraindications to using these pills, I know that taking these pills does mess up one’s monthly cycle.

Allaah *knows* your intentions and knows you want to worship Him.

You don’t really need to be *“menses-free”* to do ibaadah even if it’s in the last ten days of Ramadhaan.

You can listen to the Qur’aan, make duaa, dhikr, istighfaar, etc.

You can even READ the Qur’aan without touching it directly.

There’s no proof that a woman in her period cannot read the Qur’aan.

Besides all this, DO realize that you NOT reading Salaah or fasting while on your menses, is ALSO ibaadah.

Who told you to pray and fast?
Of course that’s Allaah.

And Who told you NOT to pray and fast during your menses?
That is ALSO Allaah.

So when you’re NOT praying and fasting in Ramadhaan because of your menses, you’re still OBEYING Allaah.

You’re SUBMITTING to Allaah’s Orders.

And *submission to Him is what ibaadah is all about.*

But if you feel that by not taking these pills, you’ll lose focus in your ibaadah in Ramadhaan because if your menses, or if it’s hard for you to make up the fasts you missed, later on etc. then it is permissible to take these pills.

So it’s really up to you.

And Allaah knows best