By Ladies, we’ve been waiting all month long for the holiest point of our Ramadan journey, and that dreaded visit from our period has made its appearance. But what about the Night of Power, Laylatul Qadr, that we’ve been waiting for this whole month? The struggle is real, am I right? So you might be asking yourself, “What now?”
I’m glad you asked, and we will get to answering the “what now” as soon as we explain the significance of the last ten days of Ramadan – in particular, Laylatul Qadr.
According to Saheeh al-Bukhaari (1145) and by Muslim (1261) from Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said:
“The Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the night remains and says, ‘Who will call upon Me, that I may answer him? Who will ask Me, that I may give him? Who will seek My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?'”
The other day I was listening to an older lecture by Sheikh Omar Suleiman where he answered the question of, “What can I do to observe Laylatul Qadr if I started my period?” He narrated a hadeeth from Saheeh al-Bukhaari which basically stated whoever becomes ill (even temporarily like when you are on your period), or traveling and they miss out on what they normally would have done in worship (like prayer), Allah (SWT) records their intention for them in full.
Sheikh Suleiman went on to explain that if Allah (SWT) knew you had really planned on praying and had that desire (or niyya), you would still receive the full reward from your intention as if you completed your prayer in worship.
Ladies, the only thing you are prohibited from doing is prayer (salat) and actually touching the Quran and its words (Mus-haf). This doesn’t have to do with you being impure. In fact, a true Muslim is never really impure. It’s just because during your period you cannot make ablution (wudhuu) which is needed in order to touch the words of Allah (SWT). Spiritually, you are never impure.
But don’t fret. You can still do other things to worship Allah (SWT). Here are three very important practices you should never stop doing just because you are on your period, especially during the last ten days of Ramadan.
Recite or listen to Quran
I know…this is confusing because how do we recite the Quran if we can’t touch it or the words? According to Sheikh Yassir Qadhi in the video above, you can recite what you have memorized in your head internally. I guess this is where we start to get motivated to learn more than those two surahs we’ve memorized to make salat. (Yeah, I see you. I’ve been there before, too, sister.) And if you don’t know many surahs to recite internally in your head, play Quran onYouTube. I’ve managed to listen to the whole Quran during Ramadan (Arabic and English translation) and it’s kept me motivated throughout the month.
Make dhikr
If there’s anyone that can keep us captivated by his lectures and keep it super real, Mufti Menk is the man. In the above video he reminds us about the importance of dhikr and says, “Utter the praise of Allah, it may be your last few words!”
I love making dhikr. It transcends me to a place of peace and comfort. And for those of you still learning about Islam, Dhikr is a ritual we perform after each of the five prayers which consists of repeating Allah’s name as a form of remembrance. Before every dua where I ask Allah (SWT) to forgive me or bless myself and my family in this world and in the afterlife, I typically say “Subhanallah” ten times, “Alhamdulillah” ten times, and “Allahu akbar” ten times using my fingers to keep track. You can also use your prayer beads.
Make dua
Our brother, Suhaib Webb, breaks down the most important dua to make during Laylatul Qadr, and spells it out for you phonetically to help you memorize this important supplication. Not only does he do that for us, but he breaks down the meaning of each word, which helps us “feel” the message we are sending to Allah (SWT.)
Just because you are on your period doesn’t mean that you are unheard by your Maker. If you are calling out to Him and asking Him for forgiveness, blessings in this life and the life after for yourself and your loved ones, and good health (along with whatever your heart desires to live a good life), Allah (SWT) will hear your calls and insha’Allah will answer them. Remember that the best duas come from the heart.
And as Suhaib mentions in the video above, the best dua during the last ten days to say is: “Allahuma inna ka ‘afuwwan tu hibbul ‘afwwa f’afu’anna.”
This translates to: “Oh Allah, you are the one pardoning and you love to pardon – so please pardon us, forgive us.”
You should definitely say this dua all the time, but particularly during the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.
Even if a woman cannot pray because of her period, but her intention was to worship in prayer, and she is still making supplications in worship, Allah (SWT) will still record her intentions as if she had performed her prayers.
Remember, a woman on her period can still take advantage of the last ten days of Ramadan through reciting or listening to the Quran, dhikr, and dua. One scholar I listened to on YouTube said something that really pulled at my heartstrings in regards to Allah’s (SWT) mercy. He said that even if a woman cannot pray because of her period, but her intention was to worship in prayer, and she is still making supplications in worship, Allah (SWT) will still record her intentions as if she had performed her prayers.
We are pardoned from praying during our period – AND by not praying, we are performing an act of ibaddah (worship). Let me repeat that: If you are on your period and you can’t pray, your nights of abstaining from prayer because of your period during the last ten days are still recorded by Allah (SWT) as if you performed them. So try not to be so bummed about having your period during this time. We’re still in the game, ladies. SubhanAllah, we are so blessed.