The Book of Menstruation

Safina reported that Abu Bakr, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him), observed: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) took a bath with one Sa' of water and performed ablution with one Mudd (of water) ; and in the hadith narrated by Ibn Hujr the words are: One Mudd sufficed for his (Holy Prophet's) ablution. And Ibn Hujr said that (his Shaikh) Isma'il was much advanced in age, and it was because of this that he could not fully rely on him for this tradition.

Jubair b. Mut'im reported: The people contended amongst themselves in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) with regard to bathing. Some of them said: We wash our heads like this and this. Upon this the Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: As for me I pour three handfuls of water upon my head.

Jubair b. Mut'im reported it from the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) that a mention was made before him about bathing because of sexual intercourse and he said: I pour water over my head thrice.

Jabir b. Abdullah reported: A delegation of the Thaqif said to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him): Our land is cold; what about our bathing then? He (the Holy Prophet) said: I pour water thrice over my head.Ibn Salim in his narration reported:" The delegation of the Thaqif said: Messenger of Allah."

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) took a bath because of sexual intercourse, he poured three handfuls of water upon his head. Hasan b. Muhammad said to him (the narrator): My hair is thick. Upon this Jabir observed. I said to him: O son of my brother, the hair of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was thicker than your hair and these were more fine (than yours).

Umm Salama reported: I said: Messenger of Allah, I am a woman who has closely plaited hair on my head; should I undo it for taking a bath, because of sexual intercourse? He (the Holy Prophet) said: No, it is enough for you to throw three handfuls of water on your head and then pour water over yourself, and you shall be purified.

This hadith has been narrated by Amr al-Naqid, Yazid b. Harun, 'Abd b. Humaid, Abd al-Razzaq, Thauri, Ayyub b. Musa, with the same chain of transmitters. In hadith narrated by Abd al-Razzaq there is a mention of the menstruation and of the sexual intercourse. The rest of the hadith has been transmitted like that of Ibn 'Uyaina.

This hadith is narrated by the same chain of transmitters by Ahmad al. Darimi, Zakariya b. 'Adi, Yazid, i. e. ' Ibn Zurai', Rauh b. al-Qasim, Ayyub b. Musa with the same chain of transmitters, and there is a mention of these words: " Should I undo the plait and wash it, because of sexual intercourse?" and there is no mention of menstruation.

'Ubaid b. Umair reported: It was conveyed to 'A'isha that 'Abdullah b. 'Amr ordered the women to undo the (plaits) of hair on their heads. She said: How strange it is for Ibn 'Amr that he orders the women to undo the plaits of their head while taking a bath; why does he not order them to shave their beads? I and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) took bath from one vessel. I did no more than this that I poured three handfuls of water over my head.

'A'isha reported: A woman asked the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) how to wash herself after menstruation. She mentioned that he taught her how to take bath and then told her to take a piece of cotton with musk and purify herself. She said: How should I purify myself with that? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Praise be to Allah, purify yourself with it, and covered his face, Sufyan b. 'Uyaina gave a demonstration by covering his face (as the Holy Prophet had done). 'A'isha reported: I dragged her to my side for I had understood what the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) intended and, therefore, said: Apply this cotton with musk to the trace of blood. Ibn 'Umar in his hadith (has mentioned the words of 'A'isha thus): Apply it to the marks of blood.

'A'isha reported: A woman asked the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) how he should wash herself after the menstrual period. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Take a cotton with musk and purity yourself, and the rest of the hadith was narrated like that of Sufyan.

'A'isha reported: Asma (daughter of Shakal) asked the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) about washing after menstruation. He said: Everyone amongst you should use water (mixed with the leaves of) the lote-tree and cleanse herself well, and then pour water on her head and rub it vigorously till it reaches the roots of the hair. Then she should pour water on it. Afterwards she should take a piece of cotton smeared with musk and cleanse herself with it. Asma' said: How should she cleanse herself with the help of that? Upon this he (the Apostle of Allah) observed: Praise be to Allah, she should cleanse herself. 'A'isha said in a subdued tone that she should apply it to the trace of blood. She (Asma) then further asked about bathing after sexual intercourse. He (the Holy Prophet) said: She should take water and cleanse herself well or complete the ablution and then (pour water) on her head and rub it till it reaches the roots of the hair (of her) head and then pour water on her. 'A'isha said: How good are the women of Ansar (helpers) that their shyness does not prevent them from learning religion.

This hadith is narrated by 'Ubaidullah b. Mu'adh with the same chain of transmitters (but for the words) that he (the Holy Prophet) said: Cleanse yourself with it, and he covered (his face on account of shyness).

'A'isha reported: Asma' b. Shakal came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and said: Messenger of Allah, how one amongst us should take a bath after the menstruation, and the rest of the hadith is the same and there is no mention of bathing because of sexual intercourse.

'A'isha reported: Fatimah b. Abu Hubaish came to the Apostle (may peace be upon him) and said: I am a woman whose blood keeps flowing (even after the menstruation period). I am never purified; should I, therefore, abandon prayer? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Not at all, for that is only a vein, and is not a menstruation, so when menstruation comes, abandon prayer, and when it ends wash the blood from yourself and then pray.

The hadith narrated by Waki' and with its chain of narrators has been transmitted on the authority of Hisham b. 'Urwa, but in the hadith narrated by Qutaiba on the authority of Jarir, the words are: " There came Fatimah b. Abu Hubaish, b. 'Abd al-Muttalib b. Asad, and she was a woman amongst us," and in the hadith of Hammid b. Zaid there is an addition of these words:" We abandoned mentioning him."

'A'isha reported: Umm Habiba b. Jahsh thus asked for a verdict from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him): I am a woman whose blood keeps flowing (after the menstrual period). He (the Holy Prophet) said: That is only a vein, so take a bath and offer prayer; and she took a bath at the time of every prayer. Laith b. Sa'd said: Ibn Shihab made no mention that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had ordered her to take a bath at the time of every prayer, but she did it of her own accord. And in the tradition transmitted by Ibn Rumh there is no mention of Umm Habiba (and there is mention of the daughter of Jahsh only.)

'A'isha, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) reported: Umm Habiba b. Jahsh who was the sister-in-law of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and the wife of 'Abd al-Rahman b. Auf, remained mustahada for seven years, and she, therefore, asked for the verdict of Shari'ah from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) about it The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: This is not menstruation, but (blood from) a vein: so bathe yourself and offer prayer. 'A'isha said: She took a bath in the wash-tub placed in the apartment of her sister Zainab b. Jahsh, till the redness of the blood came over the water. Ibn Shihab said: I narrated it to Abu Bakr b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. al-Harith b. Hisham about it who observed: May Allah have mercy on Hinda! would that she listened to this verdict. By Lord, she wept for not offering prayer.

This hadith has been thus reported by another chain of transmitters: Umm Habiba b. Jahsh came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and she had been a mustahada for seven years, and the rest of the hadith was narrated like that of 'Amr b. al-Harith up to the words:" There came the redness of the blood over water." and nothing was narrated beyond it.

The hadith has been narrated by 'A'isha through another chain of transmitters (in these words): I The daughter of jahsh had been mustabida for seven years," and the rest of the hadith is the same (as mentioned above).

On the authority of 'A'isha: Umm Habiba asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) about the blood (which flows beyond the period of menstruation). 'A'isha said: I saw her wash-tub full of blood. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Remain away (from prayer) equal (to the length of time) that your menses prevented you. After this (after the period of usual courses) bathe yourself and offer prayer.

'A'isha, the wife of the Apostle (may peace be upon him), said: Umm Habiba b. Jahsh who was the spouse of Abd al- Rahman b. Auf made a complaint to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) about blood (which flows beyond the menstrual period). He said to her: Remain away (from prayer) equal (to the length of time) that your menstruation holds you back. After this, bathe yourself. And she washed herself before every prayer.

Mu'adha reported: A woman asked 'A'isha: Should one amongst us complete prayers abandoned during the period of menses? 'A'isha said: Are you a Haruriya? When any one of us during the time of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was in her menses (and abandoned prayer) she was not required to complete them.

It is reported from Mu'adha that she asked 'A'isha: Should a menstruating woman complete the prayer (abandoned during the menstrual period)? 'A'isha said: Are you a Hurariya? The wives of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) have had their monthly courses, (but) did he order them to make compensation (for the abandoned prayers)? Muhammad b. Ja'far said: (Compensation) denotes their completion.

Mu'adha said: I asked 'A'isha: What is the reason that a menstruating woman completes the fasts (that she abandons during her monthly course). but she does not complete the prayers? She (Hadrat 'A'isha) said: Are you a Haruriya? I said: I am not a Haruriya, but I simply want to inquire. She said: We passed through this (period of menstruation), and we were ordered to complete the fasts, but were not ordered to complete the prayers.

Umm Hani b. Abu Talib reported: I went to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) on the day of the conquest (of Mecca) and found him take a bath. while his daughter Fatimah was holding a curtain around him.

Umm Hani b. Abu Talib reported: It was the day of the conquest (of Mecca) that she went to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he was staying at a higher part (of that city). The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) got up for his bath. Fatimah held a curtain around him (in order to provide him privacy). He then put on his garments and wrapped himself with that and then offered eight rak'ahs of the forenoon prayer.

This hadith is narrated by Sa'id b. Abu Hind with the same chain of transmitters and said: His (the Holy Prophet's) daughter Fatimah provided him privacy with the help of his cloth, and when he had taken a bath he took it up and wrapped it around him and then stood and offered eight rak'ahs of the forenoon prayer.

Maimuna reported: I placed water for the Apostle (may peace be upon him) and provided privacy for him, and he took a bath.

'Abd al-Rahman, the son of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, reported from his father: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: A man should not see the private parts of another man, and a woman should not see the private parts of another woman, and a man should not lie with another man under one covering, and a woman should not lie with another woman under one covering.