Is a Ghusl Necessary When My Menstruation Begins Immediately Following Intercourse?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalam alaykum

If a woman discovers her menstrual cycle has begun immediately following intercourse, is ghusl still necessary?

To clarify: the period had not visibly begun prior to engaging in intercourse.

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

No, a ritual bath (ghusl) isn’t necessary right away in the case that a lady’s menstrual cycle begins immediately after intercourse. The ritual bath is still necessary, but it may be fulfilled by bathing at the end of the menstrual period. Obviously, if she wants to bathe before then for cleanliness or the like, this is fine, but she’d need to bathe again at the end of her menstruation.

Please also see: The Ritual Bath (ghusl): Obligatory, Recommended, and Disliked Acts

And Allah Most High knows best.

[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Tabraze Azam holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Leicester, where he also served as the President of the Islamic Society. He memorised the entire Qur’an in his hometown of Ipswich at the tender age of sixteen, and has since studied the Islamic Sciences in traditional settings in the UK, Jordan and Turkey. He is currently pursuing advanced studies in Jordan, where he is presently based with his family.