Short answer
No. Prayers left during a period or postnatal bleeding are forgiven and are not made up. Fasts missed in Ramadan must be made up later. All four schools agree.
Salah is not owed during hayd and nifas and is not made up. Missed Ramadan fasts are owed and made up before the next Ramadan if possible. A prayer is owed if her period ends with enough time left in that prayer's time for ghusl and the opening takbir (or only the takbir, when it ends at the full 10 days).
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- If her period starts after enough of the prayer time passed to pray it, she must make that prayer up; the Hanafis say she owes nothing.
- Hanbali
- If her period starts after the prayer time has begun, even by the length of the opening takbir, she must make that prayer up.
Explanation
Aishah was asked why a menstruating woman makes up fasts but not prayers. She answered that this is what they were commanded in the time of the Prophet ﷺ: they were told to make up the fast and not the prayer. The wisdom scholars mention is that prayers come five times a day and making up a week of them every month would be a heavy burden, while fasts come once a year.
The edges of the period, in the Hanafi school:
- Period starts during a prayer's time before you prayed it: you do not owe that prayer, because the obligation rests on the last part of the time.
- Period ends before 10 days, with enough time left for ghusl and saying the opening Allahu akbar: you owe that prayer. Pray it, or make it up if the time ran out.
- Period ends at the full 10 days: enough time for the opening takbir alone makes the prayer owed.
- Ends before Fajr with that much time left: Isha and Witr are owed.
Missed Ramadan fasts are made up one for one on any day you choose, before the next Ramadan if you can. See Ramadan fasting rules and period starting while fasting.
The Prophet ﷺ described not praying and fasting during menstruation as part of the lesser load placed on women. It is a mercy, not a fault, and a woman who misses worship for a valid reason is rewarded for her intention. Track any owed prayers with the qada calculator.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:185
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًۭى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَٰتٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِ ۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍۢ فَعِدَّةٌۭ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ ٱلْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿١٨٥﴾
The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.
Missed obligatory fasts are made up on other days.
Sahih Muslim 335
Sahih... فنؤمر بقضاء الصوم ولا نؤمر بقضاء الصلاة ...
"We were commanded to make up the fast and were not commanded to make up the prayer."
Aishah's report of the Prophet's ﷺ instruction to menstruating women.
Sahih al-Bukhari 304
Sahih... أليس إذا حاضت لم تصل ولم تصم ...
"Is it not so that when she menstruates she neither prays nor fasts?"
Shows that a woman does not pray or fast during her period.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Taharah, chapter on menstruation and istihadah. Menstruation removes the prayer and fast; the fast alone is made up.
- al-Durr al-Mukhtar, Kitab al-Taharah, chapter on menstruation. Time needed for ghusl and the takbir when the period ends.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.