Chapter One

The Meaning of Menses In the Arabic language, the word Menses means: the pouring and flowing of something. According to its Islamic meaning, it is the blood that the female naturally releases without an outside cause and during certain specific times. It is, therefore, a natural blood flow that is not related to disease, wound, abortion or delivery. The characteristics of its flow clearly differ amongst women depending upon their overall condition, environment and immediate surroundings. The Wisdom behind it relates to the fact that when the embryo is in its mother's womb it cannot receive nutrients even from the most merciful human-being. Allah, Most Glorified and the Most Perfect Creator, created a system of blood secretions that carries the nutrients to the embryo via the umbilical cord. That is why when a woman becomes pregnant her period stops and she will rarely have menses (Haid).