The Book of Menstruation – كتاب الحيض

When anyone amongst us (amongst the wives of the Holy Prophet) menstruated, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked her to tie a waist-wrapper over her (body) and then embraced her.

When anyone amongst us was menstruating the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked her to tie waist-wrapper daring the time when the menstrual blood profusely flowed and then embraced her; and she (‘A’isha) observed: And who amongst you can have control over his desires as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had over his desires.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) contacted and embraced his wives over the waist-wrapper when they were menstruating.

I heard it from Maimuna, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him): The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to lie with me when I menstruated, and there was a cloth between me and him.

While I was lying with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in a bed cover I menstruated, so I slipped away and I took up the clothes (which I wore) in menses. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Have you menstruated? I said: Yes. He called me and I lay down

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was in I’tikaf, he inclined his head towards me and I combed his hair, and he did not enter the house but for the natural calls (for relieving himself).

‘A’isha, wife of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed: When I was (in I’tikaf), I entered the house for the call of nature, and while passing I inquired after the health of the sick (in the. family), and when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was (in I’tikaf), he put out his head towards me, while he himself was in the mosque, and I combed his hair; and he did not enter the house except for the call of nature so long as he was In I’tikaf; and Ibn Rumh stated: As long as they (the Prophet and his wives) were among the observers of I’tikaf.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) put out from the mosque his head for me as he was in I’tikaf, and I washed it in the state that I was menstruating.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) inclined his head towards me (from the mosque) while I was in my apartment and I combed it in a state of menstruation.

I used to wash the head of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), while I was in a state of menstruation.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: Get me the mat from the mosque. I said: I am menstruating. Upon this he remarked: Your menstruation is not in your hand.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered me that I should get him the mat from the mosque. I said: I am menstruating. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Do get me that, for menstruation is not in your hand.

While the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was in the mosque, he said: O ‘A’isha, get me that garment. She said: I am menstruating. Upon this he remarked: Your menstruation is not in your hand, and she, therefore, got him that.

I would drink when I was menstruating, then I would hand it (the vessel) to the Apostle (ﷺ) and he would put his mouth where mine had been, and drink, and I would eat flesh from a bone when I was menstruating, then hand it over to the Apostle (ﷺ) and he would put his mouth where mine had been. Zuhair made no mention of (the Holy Prophet’s) drinking.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would recline in my lap when I was menstruating, and recite the Qur’an.

Among the Jews, when a woman menstruated, they did not dine with her, nor did they live with them in their houses; so the Companions of the Apostle (ﷺ) asked The Apostle (ﷺ), and Allah, the Exalted revealed:” And they ask you about menstruation; say it is a pollution, so keep away from woman during menstruation” to the end (Qur’an, ii. 222). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Do everything except intercourse. The Jews heard of that and said: This man does not want to leave anything we do without opposing us in it. Usaid b. Hudair and Abbad b. Bishr came and said: Messenger of Allah, the Jews say such and such thing. We should not have, therefore, any contactwith them (as the Jews do). The face of the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) underwent such a change that we thought he was angry with them, but when they went out, they happened to receive a gift of milk which was sent to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He (the Holy Prophet) called for them and gave them drink, whereby they knew that he was not angry with them.

I was one whose prostatic fluid flowed readily and I was ashamed to ask the Apostle (ﷺ) about it, because of the position of his daughter. I, therefore, asked Miqdad. b. al-Asad and he inquired of him (the Holy Prophet). He (the Holy Prophet) said: He should wash his male organ and perform ablution.

I felt shy of asking about prostatic fluid from the Apostle (ﷺ) because of Fatimah. I, therefore, asked al-Miqdad (to ask on my behalf) and he asked. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Ablution is obligatory in such a case.

We sent al-Miqdad b. al-Aswad to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to ask him what must be done about prostatic fluid which flows from (the private part of) a person. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Perform ablution and wash your sexual organ.

The Apostle (ﷺ) woke up at night; relieved himself, and then washed his face and hands and then again slept.

Whenever the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) intended to sleep after having sexual intercourse, he performed ablution as for the prayer before going to sleep.

Whenever the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had sexual intercourse and intended to eat or sleep, he performed the ablution of prayer.

AI-Hakam narrated to us who heard from Ibrahim narrating that.

Umar said: Is one amongst us permitted to sleep in a state of impurity (i. e. after having sexual intercourse)? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Yes, after performing ablution.

‘Umar asked the verdict of the Shari’ah from the Apostle (ﷺ) thus: Is it permissible for any one of us to sleep in a state of impurity? He (the Prophet said: Yes, he must perform ablution and then sleep and take a bath when he desires.

Umar b. al-Khattab said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), that he became Junbi during the night. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him: Perform ablution, wash your sexual organ and then go to sleep.

I asked ‘A’isha about the Witr (prayer) of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and made mention of a hadith, then I said: What did he do after having sexual intercourse? Did he take a bath before going to sleep or did he sleep before taking a bath? She said: He did all these. Some- times he took a bath and then slept, and sometimes he performed ablution only and went to sleep. I (the narrator) said: Praise be to Allah Who has made things easy (for human beings).

This hadith has been transmitted with the same chain of transmitters from Mu’awyia b. Salih by Zuhair b. Harb, ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Mahdi, Harun b. Sa’id al-‘Aili and Ibn Wahb.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When anyone amongst you has sexual intercourse with his wife and then he intends to repeat it, he should perform ablution. In the hadith transmitted by Abu Bakr. (the words are):” Between the two (acts) there should be an ablution,” or he (the narrator) said:” Then he intended that it should be repeated.”

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to have sexual intercourse with his wives with a single bath.

Umm Sulaim who was the grandmother of Ishaq came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the presence of ‘A’isha and said to him: Messenger of Allah, in case or woman sees what a man sees in dream and she experiences in dream what a man experiences (i. e. experiences orgasm)? Upon this ‘A’isha remarked: O Umm Sulaim, you brought humiliation to women;may your right hand be covered with dust. He (the Holy Prophet) said to ‘A’isha: Let your hand be covered with dust, and (addressing Umm Sulaim) said: Well, O Umm Sulaim, she should take a bath if she sees that (i. e. she experiences orgasm in dream).

In case a woman sees that, she must take a bath. Umm Sulaim said: I was bashful on account of that and said: Does it happen? Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Yes (it does happen), otherwise how can (a child) resemble her? Man’s discharge (i. e. sperm) is thick and white and the discharge of woman is thin and yellow; so the resemblance comes from the one whose genes prevail or dominate.

A woman asked the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) about a woman who sees in her dream what a man sees in his dream (sexual dream). He (the Holy Prophet) said: If she experiences what a man experiences, she should take a bath.

Umm Sulaim went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: Apostle of Allah, Allah is not ashamed of the truth. Is bathing necessary for a woman when she has a sexual dream? Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Yes, when she sees the liquid (vaginal secretion). Umm Salama said: Messenger of Allah, does a woman have sexual dream? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Let your hand be covered with dust, in what way does her child resemble her?

” You humiliated the women.

Umm Sulaim, the mother of Bani Abu Talha, came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and a hadith (like that) narrated by Hisham was narrated but for these words. A’isha said: I expressed disapproval to her, saying: Does a woman see a sexual dream?

Should a woman wash herself when she sees a sexual dream and sees (the marks) of liquid? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Yes. ‘A’isha said to her: May your hand be covered with dust and injured. She narrated: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Leave her alone. In what way does the child resemble her but for the fact that when the genes contributed by woman prevail upon those of man, the child resembles the maternal family, and when the genes of man prevail upon those of woman the child resembles the paternal family.

While I was standing beside the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) one of the rabbis of the Jews came and said: Peace be upon you, O Muhammad. I pushed him backwith a push that he was going to fall. Upon this he said: Why do you push me? I said: Why don’t you say: O Messenger of Allah? The Jew said: We call him by the name by which he was named by his family. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: My name is Muhammad with which I was named by my family. The Jew said: I have come to ask you (something). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Should that thing be of any benefit to you, if I tell you that? He (the Jew) said: I will lend my ears to it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) drew a line with the help of the stick that he had with him and then said: Ask (whatever you like). Thereupon the Jew said: Where would the human beings be on the Daywhen the earth would change into another earth and the heavens too (would change into other heavens)? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: They would be in darkness beside the Bridge. He (the Jew) again said: Who amongst people would be the first to cross (this bridge).? He said: They would be the poor amongst the refugees. The Jew said: What would constitute their breakfast when they would enter Paradise? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: A caul of the fish-liver. He (the Jew) said. What would be their food alter this? He (the Holy Prophet) said: A bullockwhich was fed in the different quarters of Paradise would be slaughtered for them. He (the Jew) said: What would be their drink? He (the Holy Prophet) said: They would be given drink from the fountain which is named” Salsabil”. He (the Jew) said: I have come to ask you about a thing which no one amongst the people on the earth knows except an apostle or one or two men besides him. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Would it benefit you if I tell you that? He (the Jew) said: I would lend ears to that. He then said: I have come to ask you about the child. He (the Holy Prophet) said: The reproductive substance of man is white and that of woman (i. e. ovum central portion) yellow, and when they have sexual intercourse and the male’s substance (chromosomes and genes) prevails upon the female’s substance (chromosomes and genes), it is the male child that is created by Allah’s Decree, and when the substance of the female prevails upon the substance contributed by the male, a female child is formed by the Decree of Allah. The Jew said: What you have said is true; verily you are an Apostle. He then returned and went away. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: He asked me about such and such things of which I have had no knowledge till Allah gave me that.

I was sitting beside the Messenger of Allah” and some other minor alterations.

When Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) bathed because of sexual intercourse, he first washed his hands: he then poured water with his right hand on his left hand and washed his private parts. He then performed ablution as is done for prayer’. He then took some water and put his fingers and moved them through the roots of his hair. And when he found that these had been properly mois- tened, then poured three handfuls on his head and then poured water over his body and subsequently washed his feet.

” washed his feet.”

Hisham narrated it from his father, who narrated it on the authority of ‘A’isha that when the Apostle (ﷺ) took a bath because of sexual inter-course, he first washed the palms of his hands three times, and then the whole hadith was transmitted like that based on the authority of Abu Mu’awyia, but no mention is made of the washing of feet.

‘Urwa has narrated it on the authority of ‘A’isha that when Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) took a bath because of sexual intercourse, he first washed his hands before dipping one of them into the basin, and then performed ablu- tion as is done for prayer.

I placed water near the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to take a bath because of sexual intercourse. He washed the palms of his bands twice or thrice and then put his hand In the basin and poured water over his private parts and washed them with his left hand. He then struck his hand against the earth and rubbed it with force and then performed ablution for the prayer and then poured three handfuls of water on his head and then washed his whole body after which he moved aside from that place and washed his feet, and then I brought a towel (so that he may wipe his body). but he returned it.

” Pouring of three handfuls of water on the head.” and in the hadith narrated by Waki’ all the features of ablution have been recorded: rinsing (of mouth), snuffing of water (in the nostrils) ; and in the hadith transmitted by Abu Mu’awyia, there is no mention of a towel.

Ibn Abbas narrated It on the authority of Maimuna that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was given a towel, but he did not rub (his body) with it, but he did like this with water, i. e. he shook it off.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took a bath because of sexual intercourse, he called for a vessel and took a handful of water from it and first (washed) the right side of his head, then left, and then took a handful (of water) and poured it on his head.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) washed himself with water from a vessel (measuring seven to eight seers) because of sexual intercourse.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took a bath from the vessel (which contained seven to eight seers, i. e. fifteen to sixteen pounds) of water And I and he (the Holy Prophet) took a bath from the same vessel. And in the hadith narrated by Sufyan the words are:” from one vessel”. Qutaiba said: Al-Faraq is three Sa’ (a cubic measuring of varying magnitude).

I along with the foster brother of ‘A’isha went to her and he asked about the bath of the Apostle (ﷺ) because of sexual intercourse. She called for a vessel equal to a Sa’ and she took a bath. and there was a curtain between us and her. She poured water on her head thrice and he (Abu Salama) said: The wives of the Apostle (ﷺ) collectedhair on their heads and these lopped up to ears (and did rot go beyond that).

I and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took a bath from the same vessel, after sexual intercourse.

Hafsa, daughter of ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Abu Bakr, reported that ‘A’isha narrated to her that she and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took a bath from the same vessel which contained water equal to three Mudds or thereabout.

I and the Messenger (ﷺ) took a bath from the same vessel and our hands alternated into it in the state that we had had sexual intercourse.

I and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took a bath from one vessel which was placed between me and him and he would get ahead of me, so that I would say: Spare (some water for) me, spare (some water for) me; and she said that they had had sexual intercourse.

Maimuna (the wife of the Holy Prophet) reported to me that she and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took a bath from one vessel.

Ibn Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took a bath with the water left over by Maimuna.

Zainab bint Umm Salama (the wife of the Holy Prophet) reported that Umm Salama and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took a bath from the same vessel.