the mustahada (woman experiencing irregular bleeding); this is due to what was narrated from 'A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said: "If she reaches fifty years of age, she has exited the boundary of menstruation." It was also narrated from her that she said: "A woman shall not see a child in her womb after fifty." It was narrated from him (Ahmad) that the non-Arab women despair of menstruation at fifty, while the women of Banu Hashim and others from the Arabs do so at sixty years of age. This is the view of the people of Medina, based on what al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar narrated in "Kitab al-Nasab" from some of them, that he said: "None gives birth at fifty years except an Arab woman, and none gives birth at sixty except a Qurashi woman." He said: "Hind bint Abi 'Ubayda ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Zam'a gave birth to Musa ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Husayn ibn Hasan ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib when she was sixty years old." Ahmad said regarding an Arab woman who sees blood after fifty: "If it recurs twice or thrice, it is menstruation." This is because the point of reference in this matter is existence, and menstruation has indeed been found to occur in trustworthy women who have reported it about themselves after fifty; thus, it is mandatory to believe it is menstruation, just as it is before fifty. Furthermore, the discussion concerns a case where blood is found in a woman during her period of habitual cycle in the same manner she used to see it before that; therefore, the existence here is evidence of menstruation, just as it was evidence before fifty, so it must be deemed menstruation. As for making prayer and fasting obligatory during it, that is for the sake of precaution, due to the difference of opinion regarding it. The correct view is that there is no difference between Arab women and others, because they do not differ in the rest of the rulings of menstruation, so the same applies here. What was mentioned from 'A'isha does not constitute a proof, for the existence of menstruation is a factual matter, the reference for which is its existence, and she had no knowledge of that existence. Furthermore, it has occurred contrary to what she stated; for Musa ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Hasan was indeed born to his mother after fifty, and menstruation has been found after fifty as it is, so it is impossible to deny it. If it is said: "This blood is not menstruation, despite being in its description, time, and habit, without a specific text (nass)," then this is an arbitrary claim that is not accepted. As for after sixty, the ambiguity has ceased, and it is certain that it is not menstruation, because it has not been found, and it is known that there is a state for a woman in which she reaches the point of despair (menopause), due to the saying of Allah the Exalted: {And those who have despaired of menstruation from your women} [Surah al-Talaq: 4]. He said