Salaam Minara Family,

Salah is orientation. Fact. 

A rhythmic pause five times a day, where the body bends, the breath slows, and the soul reorients itself toward the Divine. But what happens when that rhythm pauses not due to neglect or distraction, but because Allah Himself has lifted that obligation during menstruation?

The absence of prayer during this time can feel like a spiritual drift. We may feel disconnected, maybe guilty, or we might even just quietly enjoy the pause, only to find it jarring to return afterward. What’s often missing from the conversation isn’t rulings [those are clear of course], but spiritual language for what this time means, and practical guidance for how to live it consciously.

Let’s begin by reframing. Menstruation is not a spiritual void. It’s not a break from worship; it’s a break from formal acts of worship. 

That distinction matters. 

As ‘Aaisha [Allah be pleased with her] reminded us:

This is not punishment nor loss nor exclusion. It’s mercy. The command to step back from Salah during menstruation is divine accommodation. Allah knows our bodies, our cycles, our exhaustion, our hormonal tides and this intermission is a mercy tailored into our physiology.

But that doesn’t mean we are spiritually dormant. There are beautiful, nourishing ways to stay anchored during this time ⚓

Stick with us ladies as we explore those options! And for the men in our community, perhaps some of these will prove useful anyway when you want to elevate your prayer practice in sha Allah!

Repetition of SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illa Allah, Allahu Akbar, and Astaghfirullah is simple but powerful. Reciting them while walking, resting, or even washing dishes can steady your thoughts and shift your nervous system into calm. This isn’t abstract: slow, rhythmic dhikr lowers stress hormones and centers your focus.

Try setting a 5-minute timer after Fajr or Maghrib, when you’d normally pray, and just repeat one phrase aloud or silently, slowly and with presence. Let your breath follow its rhythm. Remember, you’re not replacing Salah - you’re just responding to the same call, differently.

While there's scholarly difference on whether women can recite Qur’an during menstruation, listening, reading translations, and reflecting on meanings is completely permissible and spiritually enriching.

Pick a surah - even just one ayah - and reflect on what it says about Allah, yourself, or life. Keep a Qur’an journal if that helps. Use an app that allows you to listen with tafsir (Bayyinah TV, Quran.com with audio, or apps with Mufti Menk or Mishary Alafasy).

Our personal recommendation? Start with Surah Maryam or Surah Al-Inshirah: both speak directly to experiences of pain, transition, and divine care.

There’s no restriction on du’a; it’s open at all times. Use this time to deepen the emotional honesty of your conversation with Allah. There’s no script. Ask, cry, reflect, express gratitude, or sit in silence with a raised hand and a busy heart.

A tip: Keep a "Du’a Bank". [Think a running list of names, needs, and dreams]. Add to it each cycle. It transforms your week from disconnection to deep engagement with your heart.

Even without Wudu or Salah, the acts that surround them still hold power. You can:

Spirituality, in its truest form, spills into the ordinary and these are days to let that happen.

We’d love to hear your ideas or things you do during your menstruation to remain connected to Allah! Please do share your thoughts with us and perhaps we could publish a collection to inspire.

💚

Hands up if returning to Salah after 5-10 days off feels disjointed, either because the spiritual momentum was lost, or because the body is tired and the mind distracted?

Yep, us too!

Well, here are some of our tips on how to ease that transition with tenderness, not tension.

Instead of rushing through it, treat ghusl as a ritual of return. Use warm water. Slow your movements. Set an intention: “I am returning to the rhythm You wrote for me.” Light something scented. Let this be a quiet re-beginning.

Before praying your first Salah back, sit for a moment. Ask Allah to make your return sincere. Ask Him to ease any guilt, shame, or apathy you may feel. Ask Him to meet you in your Allahu Akbar, even if it’s been days.

Your first Salah may feel clunky. That’s okay. Don’t aim for intensity. Aim for showing up. One foot back in the rhythm and remember Allah sees the step, not the choreography.

You don’t have to ‘make up’  for lost time. Just resuming is enough.

The beauty of menstruation in Islam is that it never renders a woman spiritually unworthy. In fact, it reveals a theology of compassion that your body is not a barrier to worship but a vessel through which Allah has given you a unique rhythm of approach.

Whether in prostration, in reflection, in pain, or in pause, you are always within the mercy zone.

So the next time your Salah rhythm pauses, don’t step away from Allah. Just shift how you step toward Him.

So that when you return after your graceful intermission, you return with a light heart and a spring in your step.

That’s it from us friends. We so so pray this is of use to us all 🩵💙.

Until next week then in sha Allah…

Love and du’as,

The Minara Team