Taking pills to delay menstruation (haiz)

Q. Some women take pills to delay their menstruation (haiz) so that they can observe all the (29 or 30) fasts of Ramadhan or avoid inconvenience during the pilgrimage (Hajj). Is it permissible to resort to such a practice? Is such a fast or such a Hajj valid?

A. It is preferable for a woman to refrain from taking anything, whether pills or any other means, with the intention of delaying her menstruation. She should observe the number of fasts that she is able to complete during Ramadhan and, if necessary, make up for the fasts missed due to menstruation after Ramadhan. This was the practice of the Sahaabiyyah (Radiyallaahu anhuma‎). They did not use any form of medication to delay menstruation, whether during Ramadhan or Hajj, and allowed things to follow their natural course.

However, if a woman chooses to use pills with this intention, there is no clear prohibition in Islamic terms. The hormonal effects of these pills to delay menstruation are not, in and of themselves, a sufficient reason to forbid their use. Therefore, if she uses them, the fast or Hajj is still valid, provided that she adheres to all other conditions for validity.

[English version of "Prendre des pilules pour retarder les règles (haïz)" – Al Haadi – Vol. 2 No. 4]