Short answer
You can enter ihram on your period, but you cannot do tawaf or enter the mosque until your period ends and you take ghusl. Then you complete tawaf, sa'i and the trim. The four schools agree that tawaf needs purity.
A woman in her period may enter ihram (with a bath for cleanliness), make the intention and say the talbiyah, but she may not perform tawaf or enter the mosque. She waits in ihram until she is pure, takes ghusl, then completes her umrah. Doing tawaf in her period is a sin and requires a dam for the tawaf of umrah, unless she repeats it after becoming pure.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
When A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) got her period on the way to Hajj, the Prophet ﷺ told her to do everything a pilgrim does except tawaf of the House until she was pure. So her ihram is valid and she can be in Makkah, make dhikr and dua, but tawaf waits.
- At the miqat: bathe, make the intention and say the talbiyah. Do not pray the two rakats of ihram.
- In Makkah: stay in ihram, keep its rules, and wait until bleeding stops and you take ghusl.
- Period starts after tawaf: you may do sa'i and trim, and your umrah is complete.
- Pills to delay the period: allowed if they do not harm you, by agreement of most scholars. Ask your doctor.
The hard case is a woman whose flight leaves before her period ends. She cannot leave ihram without completing umrah, so the options and penalties in that situation need a mufti's guidance. Planning your trip around your cycle where possible avoids this.
For the full rules on periods in Hajj, including the fard tawaf and the farewell tawaf (which a menstruating woman may skip without penalty), see our Hajj guide and umrah guide.
Ask a mufti about your own case. This answer explains the general ruling. When the details of your situation matter, as they do here, ask a qualified mufti and give them the full facts. Where to ask a scholar.
The evidence
Sahih al-Bukhari 305
Sahih... افعلي ما يفعل الحاج غير أن لا تطوفي بالبيت حتى تطهري ...
"Do everything a pilgrim does, except do not perform tawaf of the House until you are pure."
A woman in her period stays in ihram and does every rite except tawaf.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Hajj, on the menstruating woman. She does every rite except tawaf.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Hajj, bab al-jinayat, tawaf in menstruation. The penalty for tawaf in a state of menstruation.
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.