The majority say Tawaf requires purity and must be delayed until menstruation ends; the Hanafi school allows Tawaf al-Ifadah with a penalty if departure cannot be delayed. The farewell Tawaf is waived entirely.
This is one of the most important and commonly asked questions for women performing Haji. When Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) began menstruating during her Umrah journey, Nabi (shallallahu alaihi wa sallam) told her: 'Do everything that the jamaah haji does, except do not perform Tawaf around the House until you are pure.' Based on this, the majority of scholars hold that Tawaf requires ritual purity and a menstruating woman must wait until her period ends to perform Tawaf.
The Hanafi school provides an exception for the wajib Tawaf al-Ifadah: if a woman's travel group is departing and she cannot delay, she may perform Tawaf al-Ifadah while menstruating, but must sacrifice a camel (badanah) as a penalty. Some contemporary scholars, including Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah, held that if a woman has no choice (her group is leaving, she cannot stay), she may perform Tawaf after securing protection against discharge and her Tawaf is valid without penalty — though this is a minority opinion.
Importantly, a menstruating woman remains in Ihram and can perform all other Haji rituals normally: standing at Arafah, staying at Muzdalifah, stoning at Jamarat, sa'i (according to some scholars), and making doa everywhere. She is exempted from the farewell Tawaf (Tawaf al-Wada) entirely — this is agreed upon by all scholars. Modern medical options such as medication to delay menstruation should be discussed with a doctor well before the trip.
Nabi (shallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said to me when I menstruated: 'Do everything that the jamaah haji does, except do not perform Tawaf around the House until you are pure.'
Nabi (shallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said to me when I menstruated: 'Do everything that the jamaah haji does, except do not perform Tawaf around the House until you are pure.'
Source: Ibn Qudamah, Al-Mughni; al-Kasani, Badai al-Sanai; Ibn Taymiyyah, Majmu al-Fatawa
Nabi (shallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said to me when I menstruated: 'Do everything that the jamaah haji does, except do not perform Tawaf around the House until you are pure.'
Sahih al-Bukhari #305 (sahih)