What is Haidh?
(Period / Menstruation / Menses)
Allah Ta’ala has created in the female body a very special and unique organ called ‘The Womb or Uterus’.
The womb is about the size of your fist and is shaped like a pear turned upside down. Its walls are made of strong, stretchy muscle. Each month a lining builds up on the walls of the womb. The body then sheds this lining. This shedding is called ‘Menstruation’ (haidh / period).
This shedding occurs in the form of a discharge which flows out of the front private part. This discharge is known as menstrual blood and consists mostly of blood and mucus. This discharge occurs for a few days and may vary according to each individual, depending on the menstrual cycle. For most females, bleeding is heaviest during the first 2 days after which it becomes lighter.
The colour of this discharge will change during a period. It may be a brownish red at the beginning, then changing to dark red towards the middle and back to brownish red at the end. Sometimes, the discharge may consist of dark red clots of blood. This is quite normal and there is nothing to worry about as it is part of the uterine lining and is considered normal. However, if it continues for a long period, a doctor should be consulted. We will now refer to the ‘period’ with the Arabic term ‘haidh’.