Question
I was at the end of my menstruation period and I thought that I had become pure. My menstruation period usually lasts for six or seven days. I became pure on the sixth day because the discharge stopped. Therefore, I started to perform ‘Umrah. After finishing the rituals, I discovered that I had discharged a small quantity of blood. On the seventh day, I became pure again. Then I started to perform ‘Umrah again. After finishing the rituals, I again discovered that I had discharged blood. What is the Sharee‘ah ruling on this?
Fatwa
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.
If you were almost certain that your menstruation had ended by one of two signs, which are blood cessation or the white discharge, and you then made Ghusl (ritual bathing) and performed the rituals of ‘Umrah, your ‘Umrah is valid because you performed Tawaaf (circumambulation of the Ka’bah) in a state of purity. This is because the purity between two periods of menstruation is a true purity during which a woman is required to perform Ghusl, pray and do what all pure women do. When discharge of blood occurs again, a woman is again in menstruation. It was reported that Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said, "It is impermissible for a woman, when she experiences purity for an hour, to remain without Ghusl."
Consequently, if you performed ‘Umrah on the sixth and seventh days and you were pure, as indicated in the question, then your two ‘Umrahs are valid and there is nothing due from you.
However, if you performed Tawaaf while blood was discharging, your Tawaaf is invalid, because a woman is prevented from performing Tawaaf during menstruation. The Prophet said to a menstruating woman during Hajj: "Do as other pilgrims do, but do not perform Tawaaf unless you become pure." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Consequently, you are required to go to Makkah, perform Tawaaf and Sa‘y (walking between Mounts As-Safa and Al-Marwah) and then end the state of Ihraam for your ‘Umrah. You are excused for violating the restrictions of Ihraam during that due to ignorance. Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {And there is no blame upon you for that in which you have erred but [only for] what your hearts intended. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 33: 5]
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said,
A pilgrim who violates one of the restrictions of Ihraam out of forgetfulness, ignorance or compulsion, is blameless. Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {And there is no blame upon you for that in which you have erred but [only for] what your hearts intended.} [Quran 33: 5]
Regarding killing game, which is one of the restrictions of Ihraam, Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {O you who have believed, do not kill game while you are in the state of Ihraam. And whoever of you kills it intentionally - the penalty is an equivalent from sacrificial animals to what he killed.} [Quran 5: 95] These texts indicate that the person who violates one of the restrictions of Ihraam out of forgetfulness or ignorance is blameless.
If you are doubtful about the time of the blood discharge and whether it was during Tawaaf or after it, you should know that the majority of the scholars are of the view that doubt regarding purity is of no effect. That is because continuation of purity is the fundamental rule. Therefore, this original state remains unless one is certain of the opposite. Hence, the original ruling in this issue is that your Tawaaf is valid.
And Allah knows best.