Encyclopedia of Islam

blood

  

109  J

---

of sacrifice in i

slam

 is not the atonement of sins, 

as in the Old Testament; rather, what is important 

is Abraham’s submission to God’s will. The Quran 

states that with animal sacrifices, “It is not their 

meat nor their blood that reaches Allah; it is your 

piety that reaches him” (Q 22:37).

Lastly, in the sharia menstrual blood is consid-

ered to be a source of major impurity, and 

Women

are exempted from 

prayer

 and 

Fasting

 as long as 

their monthly period lasts, as are women expe-

riencing postpartum bleeding. When a woman’s 

period ends, she must perform a complete 

ablU

-

tion

 before engaging in an act of worship or enter-

ing a sacred place, such as a 

mosqUe

. Rules about 

menstruation and ritual purity are a major topic in 

the 

hadith

 and 

fiqh

 literature.

See also 

dietary

 

laWs

; i

d

 

al

-a

dha

.