My wife has an intrauterine device for contraception and she has bleeding a small amount for more than 10 days so far and she would like to know if she can start to pray.

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

It seems that using an intrauterine device is forbidden except if there is any dire necessity, since such an action causes exposing the very private parts of a woman to others while only a husband is permitted to see them in normal circumstances. Even a female doctor is not permitted to look at those parts unless there is dire need according to the agreement of Muslim scholars.

Also, such devices most likely cause disturbance in the period of a woman and this confuses the woman as a result, about many rulings of Sharee'a such as purity, prayer, fasting, circumambulation of K'abah, touching the Qur'an and having sex with her husband. The mentioned details are related to inserting the device. As for the ruling after inserting such a device, it varies from one woman to another based on her necessity.

The situation of a woman who uses this device is of two conditions:

a) She inserted it due to a dire necessity and it does not disturb her period. In this case, she should continue practicing her acts of worship as before. If there is any disturbance in her period, or she is confused about it and she cannot find out whether it is menses or a prolonged flow of blood then the matter needs details.

Generally, bleeding from the vagina is considered as menses and the rulings of menses should be applied in this case.

However, if the bleeding exceeds its maximum limit, which is fifteen days, according to the majority of Muslim scholars, then she is no longer considered as a menstruating woman but she is considered as pure after that time. Also, if the woman observes clear changes in the nature of the blood after her normal period then she is considered clean in spite of the continuous bleeding. In both cases mentioned above, she has to take a bath when the rulings of purity starts, use an absorbent, and should perform every obligatory prayer with a separate Wudu (ablution).

b) The intrauterine device is inserted without any dire necessity; we have made clear above that using such a device in this case is forbidden. However, if it has already been inserted and would not affect the cycle of her period then, it seems better not to remove it. However, if it affects the cycle of period, then she must get rid of it.

The ruling in this case is not similar to the ruling in the first situation, since in the first situation a woman is compelled to use it. Thus, the disturbance of her menses cycle is out of her will so, she is not blamed for that, just as she is not blamed if she suffers from a prolonged flow of bleeding. In the second situation (where the device is used of her own will), the woman is responsible for her deeds.

Finally, we make clear again that the basis for prohibition when a woman is not compelled to use such devices, is when she unveils her private parts to someone else or when her menstrual cycle is disturbed. However, if a woman can insert such devices herself, or it is her husband who inserts it for her and it does not affect her menstrual cycle then it is permitted since it is like coitus interruptus which is permitted according to the preponderant opinion of Muslim scholars.

Allah knows best.