I am sorry if this is a silly question, but what if a woman has problems with spotting before and after her period, and irritability and bloating before her period? Is it permissible to pray whilst spotting, and is PMS or PMDD counted as an illness, or a minor trial?

Many thanks, Jazakallah Khair Carey C.

We have all dealt with people who have either become lazy about prayer or (and we seek refuge with Allah) have left it altogether. When you ask these people in a nice truly inquisitive sincere manner as to why they are doing this the common answer is, “Wallahi I know I should but I forget or I just don’t have time sometimes. Sadly we hear some who actually are on the border line of outright kufr when they say that Allah knows whats in their heart and al-hamdu lillah they are good people who don’t do Kaba’ir. The truth is that missing one prayer while aware one is missing it is considered by all scholars to be of the worst of Kaba’ir while a few scholars hold it to be an act of kufr. So when we inform these diseased hearts of this they usually talk or act as though you are following some extreme Mullahs or shaikhs who are making Islam tough. It is hard to convince the ignorant that all religions haven’t been altered or corrupt by their founders propogators. That being because globalization has been pumping this as a universal proven truth into their brains for years.

So of course that road doesn’t work and by trial and error we learn. What I find is somewhat effective is to mention a few of the Hadiths which mention that prayer in itself is a way to Jannah and Salvation. I also seek thier permission for a few minutes to explain the reasons why it is a means to Jannah in itself and the main pillar of the worship of a believer.

Meaning how it keeps your day surrounded by the rule and rememberance of the Almighty. It is set to program your mind and heart focus on the greatness, magnificence, and sublimity of our gracious creator. We seek His forgiveness and are free in prostration to make full tawbah and seek a more personal relationship with him through Du’a. So even if in our own nafs (ego/self) feel that “we are good people who don’t do Kaba’ir” We can be sure that through prayer we will be more likely to fulfill this desire as well as to be better prepared for the minor sins to build up or for our Aqeedah to be damaged.

Wallahu a’lam