Faith Uninterrupted

Salaam Minara Family,

Migraines, cramps, nausea, backaches, dizziness, tiredness… aaah - women, are we right or are we right?

The ailments that besiege us during our cycles and yes these are only the physical ones.

I think this little buddy here ⬇️ tells the story of the emotional rollercoaster we ride during menses better than we can:

Subhan Allah, the women’s body is such a marvel.

Menstruation can seem like a medieval torture device women are subjected to regularly.

But here’s why our menses is also a mercy.

Isn’t it reassuring that all discomfort, anxiety, and pain is recompensated by Allah either by:

1. erasing wrongdoings

2. an additional reward

Any and all suffering induced by a woman’s menses (pre/during/post) will ultimately be a means of expiation or reward. Not a moment of endurance or hardship is unnoticed by our Merciful Rabb.

^{Disclaimer: this is by no means an argument to be used to encourage women to suffer in silence. Just putting it out there… 🙏🏽}

As well as being rewarded for the pain and discomfort a woman experiences during her menses, there are other mercies written for us by Allah which we’re looking at below plus some tips to stay inspired through your cycle.

First, the very fact that a woman does not read salah during her menses is a blessing in disguise. The impermissibility of salaah is not a curse or a punishment but an act of love.

Islam recognizes the physical and mental fatigue a woman experiences and in response, takes away the responsibility of the five daily salaah so that she may rest.

Second, though a woman is commanded not to pray, she is showered with the same rewards assigned to her when she usually offers her salaah.

Ok - it’s time for Fajr in the dead of the morning. As per your routine, you roll out of your warm bed and make your way to the bathroom to perform wudhu despite it being cold and chilly. You read Fajr, perhaps recite some Qur’an or engage in dhikr. Some days you return to bed, others, you begin your day. The blessings that are showered down upon you, only Allah can speak of.

But today, you’re menstruating. You don’t have to get up, and instead you can have a slower morning. Your feet don’t feel the cold of the floor, and you’re not awakened by the water that splashes your face as you make wudhu.

Despite this, Allah still records in your Book of Deeds a reward for you. Why? By not praying, you are submitting to Allah’s command for you during your menses. That’s one reward right there.

The second comes from the habit you’ve created.

Isn’t that incredible? Though you’re unable to pray, you are still eligible for all the rewards of those salah that you’d perform on a non-menstruating day 🎁.

A little reflection activity for you. Think back to your last cycle.

You had your prayer break. Then it was time to read salah again after a number of days.

Maybe you can attest to feeling down whilst being unable to pray. Or you can attest to finding prayer challenging after your ‘break’.

How do you keep the motivational salah cogs spinning throughout?

[And actually, this is somewhat relevant to our male counterparts too, because we all experience peaks and dips in our motivation; no salah journey is linear].

What to do during menses

[Consider this your concise guide to beating the menstruation blues reds!]

1.   Try and perform wudhu at salah times where possible. Being in a state of wudhu regardless of prayer is a virtuous act. There are numerous hadith renumerating the virtues of wudhu but just as an example, angels watch over and seek forgiveness for the person who sleeps “purified” i.e. in a state of wudhu. Beyond the virtues, the act of performing wudhu will keep you feeling just that little bit closer to Allah; perhaps even more special knowing that you are choosing to make wudhu. While a menstruating woman will not gain ritual purity from performing ablution, she will be rewarded as the act of ablution is a rewarding act in itself.

2.     Mentally reconnect with your prayer habit. Basically, take some time to engage in any of the suggestions below ⬇️ Sit in your designated prayer spot for this or just stay where you are. If you go to your usual prayer spot, you might not to do anything except merely sit for a few moments or more, spiritually recalibrating knowing that even without praying, Allah is rewarding you. If you do decide to do something (regardless of where you are), here are a few suggestions:

a.     Listen to some Qur’an recitation. Just let the sweet melody wash over you as you sit in peaceful solitude.

b.   Study a verse of the Qur’an? This could be the translation or the tafseer (commentary). A great suggestion is studying those verses read regularly in salah such as Surah Fatiha. Understanding your recitation = + ‘Khushu. All of us can attest to the joy of understanding something and the spark it inspires in wanting to know and learn more.

c.     Engage in dhikr (remembrance of Allah). We love the idea of reflecting on our days, goals, endeavours, challenges and realising Allah’s qualities within them. You might have observed the beauty of the sunrise for example that morning, so ponder over the beauty of Allah within his name: al-Jameel [The Most Beautiful].

d.     Explore salah. Read about its virtues – if it is ‘Asr time for example, what are the benefits and virtues of this salah? Perhaps you could focus on learning about one very specific aspect of salah to help you better it, physically or spiritually. This will build the anticipation and excitement for when you can pray again and hopefully put what you have learnt into practice.

e.     Last but not least, make du’a. The thought of du’a though can sometimes be daunting right? What should I ask for? How should I ask for it? Am I worthy for the things I am asking? Just think of it as the precursor to the conversation one has in salah. Allah has given us all the du’as we need to make in salah [take Surah Fatiha: in Ayah 6, we ask for guidance on the right path). Now [what normally would be the end of your salah had you been praying] we can ask for whatever we want knowing Allah’s ability to give is limitless. Our tip? Just talk to him as you would a friend. Don’t worry about the technicalities. Just do and you will get better at asking in a way that is worthy of The Giver of all things.

Maintaining this psychology of routine will keep the momentum and motivation going.

Insha’Allah, you will find yourself navigating your relationship with prayer during your menses – or when you hit a rocky patch in your motivation – a smoother process. All you have to do is keep showing up even if that just looks like you sitting doing absolutely nothing on your prayer mat!

What tips do you have to keep yourself motivated?  Is there anything you’ve tried and tested?

Please do let us know by hitting the reply button or sending us an email!

Wishing you all a restful weekend ❣️

The Minara Team