Question:
In the Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Ever Merciful
I am a woman who has been married for 5 years now. Seven months after marriage, I became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter who is less than four years old now. Three months after delivery, I discovered a tumor in the left lobe of the thyroid gland, which required a surgery to be removed. The tumor analysis revealed affliction of the right lobe and thus 12 days later I underwent further surgery to remove it. The tumor then moved to the part joining the two lobes. I have been receiving treatment for more than three years by thyroid nuclear scan and radioactive iodine at intervals of 6 months, a year and two years.
I am suffering from several disorders caused by the thyroid, the most important of which is menstrual disorder. Although I use contraceptive pills to avoid pregnancy in order not to have deformed children due to the radioactive iodine, I still menstruate and thus my marital life is unstable and I cannot perform the obligatory acts of worship regularly.
I usually have spotting (discharge of a few drops of blood or more) after the end of the monthly menstruation. I consulted five male and female physicians and they attributed this disorder to the thyroid gland. After delivery, I suffered bleeding for six consecutive months.
Please advise, especially because the noble month of Ramadan is drawing near. What is the Sharee‘ah (Islamic legislation) ruling on these drops of blood which are present non-stop? What is the Sharee‘ah ruling on fasting, praying, sexual intercourse, other acts of worship? Please advise, for my life is on the verge of collapse.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Ever Merciful
Dear sister, Assalaamu ‘Alaykum,
We ask Allah The Almighty to heal you and keep you healthy and safe. The thyroid has an effect on the entire body in general and menstruation in particular, as well as the disorders mentioned. It is clear that your treatment is not complete yet and that the physicians are not satisfied with the developments of the gland until now.
I wonder whether you should take contraceptive pills now. Can you use another contraceptive method? Contraceptive pills also cause menstrual disorders, especially when you have been suffering from thyroid gland disorders from the beginning. I suggest that you give up using such pills and that your husband uses some method to prevent pregnancy.
As for the Sharee‘ah ruling on the non-stop discharge of drops of blood throughout the month, when your usual menstruation ends after 6 or 7 days, you have to perform Ghusl (ritual bath) and start leading your normal life. Discharge of blood outside this period is considered vaginal bleeding and it does not prevent you from either prayer or fasting. However, you have to perform a new ablution for each prayer. Sexual intercourse is also permissible in this case. And Allah knows best.
You should know that your suffering is a test from Allah The Almighty; when you are patient and seek reward, you will receive the reward of those who are patient, by the permission of Allah The Almighty.
To know more about the Sharee‘ah rulings, please contact the Fatwa Section in our website.
May Allah grant us success.