Purification (Kitab Al-Taharah)

I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): What is lawful for a man to do with his wife when she is menstruating? He replied: What is above the waist-wrapper, but it is better to abstain from it, too.

Abu Dawud said: This (tradition) is not strong.

The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) made a concession in the early days of Islam on account of the paucity of clothes that one should not take a bath if one has sexual intercourse (and has no seminal emission). But later on her commanded to take a bath in such a case and prohibited its omission.

One day the Prophet (ﷺ) had intercourse with all his wives. He took a bath after each intercourse. I asked him: Messenger of Allah, why don't you make it a single bath? He replied: This is more purifying, better and cleaning.

Abu Dawud said: The tradition narrated by Anas is more sound that this tradition.

When the Prophet (May peace be upon him) wanted to eat or sleep, he would perform ablution. She meant that (the prophet did so) when he was sexually defiled.

The Prophet (ﷺ) granted permission to a person who was sexually defiled to eat or drink or sleep after performing ablution.

Abu Dawud said: In the chain of this tradition there is a narrator between Yahya b. Ya'mur and 'Ammar b. Yasir. 'Ali b. Abi Talib, Ibn 'Umar and 'Abd Allah b. 'Amr said: When a person is sexually defiled wants to eat, he should perform ablution.

Ghudayf ibn al-Harith reported: I asked Aisha: Have you seen the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) washing (because of defilement) at the beginning of the night or at the end?

She replied: Sometimes he would take a bath at the beginning of the night and sometimes at the end.

Thereupon I exclaimed: Allah is most Great. All Praise be to Allah Who made this matter accommodative.

I again asked her: What do you think, did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say the witr prayer (additional prayer after obligatory prayer at night) in the beginning of the night or at the end?

She replied: Sometimes he would say the witr prayer at the beginning of the night and sometimes at the end.

I exclaimed: Allah is most Great. All praise be to Allah Who made the matter accommodative.

Again I asked her: What do you think, did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recite the Qur'an (in the prayer) loudly or softly?

She replied: Sometimes he would recite loudly and sometimes softly.

I exclaimed: Allah is most Great. All praise be to Allah Who made the matter flexible.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Angels do not enter the house where there is a picture, or a dog, or a person who is sexually defiled.

Abdullah ibn Salamah said: I, accompanied by other two persons, one from us and the other from Banu Asad, called upon Ali. He sent them to a certain territory (on some mission) saying: You are sturdy and vigorous people; hence display your power for religion. He then stood and entered the toilet. He then came out and called for water and took a handful of it. Then he wiped (his hands) with it and began to recite the Qur'an. They were surprised at this (action).

Thereupon he said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out from the privy and taught us the Qur'an and took meat with us. Nothing prevented him; or the narrator said: Nothing prevented him from (reciting) the Qur'an except sexual defilement.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came and saw that the doors of the houses of his Companions were facing the mosque. He said: Turn the direction of the houses from the mosque. The Prophet (ﷺ) then entered (the houses or the mosque), and the people did take any step in this regard hoping that some concession might be revealed. He the Prophet) again came upon them and said: Turn the direction of these (doors) from the mosque I do not make the mosque lawful for a menstruating woman and for a person who is sexually defiled.

Abu Dawud said: Aflat b. Khalifah is also called Fulait al-'Amiri.

Abu Dawud said: The version narrated by Mu’ammar on the authority of al-Zuhri has: She (‘A’ishah) said: I and the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) took a bath from a vessel which was equal to al-faraq in measurement (i.e., containing water about seven or eight seers).

Abu Dawud said: Ibn ‘Uyainah also narrated like the version of Malik.

Abu Dawud said; I heard Ahmad b. Hanbal say: Al-Faraq contains sixteen rotls (of water). I also heard him say: The sa’of of Ibn Abi Dhi’b contained 5 rotls (of water). The view that a sa’ contains eight rotls (of water) is not safe.

Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad (b. Hanbal) say: Whoever gave 5 1/3 rotls (measuring) with our rotl alms of fitr (sadaqat al-fitr), he gave in full, Thereupon he was questioned: Are the dates called al-saihani heavier (can one sa’ of them be given as alms of fitr)? He replied: The dates called al-saihani are good. But I do not know (whether water is heavier or the dates).

People made a mention of washing because of sexual defilement before the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) said: I pour (water) on my head three times. And he made a sign with both his hands.

Jumay' ibn Umayr, one of the sons of Banu Taym Allah ibn Tha'labah, said: Accompanied by my mother and aunt I entered upon Aisha. One of them asked her: How did you do while taking a bath? Aisha replied: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed ablution (in the beginning) as he did for prayer. He then poured (water) upon his head three times. But we poured water upon our heads five times due to plaits.

'Aishah said; When the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) intended to take a bath because of sexual defilement, he would begin with his hands and wash them. Then he would wash the joints of his limbs and pour water upon him when he cleansed both his (hands), he would rub them on the wall (to make them perfectly clean with the dust). Then he would perform ablution and pour water over his head.

Abu Dawud said: Musaddad said: I asked ‘Abd Allah b. Dawud whether they (the companions) disliked to make it a habit. He replied: it (the tradition) goes in a similar way and I found it in a similar way in this book of mine.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: If anyone who is sexual defiled leaves a spot equal to the breadth of a hair without washing, such and such an amount of Hell-fire will have to be suffered for it. Ali said: On that account I treated my head (hair) as an enemy, meaning I cut my hair. He used to cut the hair (of his head). May Allah be pleased with him.

we took a bath while having an adhesive substance over us (our head) in both states, namely, when wearing a robe for Hajj (ihram) and when wearing ordinary clothes (not meant for Hajj).

Shurayh ibn Ubayd said: Jubayr ibn Nufayr gave me a verdict about the bath because of sexual defilement that Thawban reported to them that they asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about it. He (the Prophet) replied: As regards man, he should undo the hair of his head and wash it until the water should reach the roots of the hair. But there is no harm if the woman does not undo it (her hair) and pour three handfuls of water over her head.

The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) used to take a handful of water and pour it on the fluid. Again, he would take a handful of water and pour it over the fluid.

Urwah ibn az-Zubayr said that Fatimah daughter of AbuHubaysh narrated to him that she asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and complained to him about the flowing of (her) blood. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to her: That is only (due to) a vein: look, when your menstruation comes, do not pray; and when your menstruation ends, wash yourself and then offer prayer during the period from one menstruation to another.

Abu Dawud said: Qatadah narrated it from 'Urwah b. al-Zubair, from Zainab daughter of Umm Salamah, that Umm Habibah daughter of Jahsh had a prolonged flow of blood. The Prophet (ﷺ) commanded her to abandon prayer for the period of her menses. She then should take a bath, and offer prayer.Abu Dawud said: Qatadah did not hear anything from 'Urwah. 2

And Ibn 'Uyainah added in the tradition narrated by al-Zuhri from 'Umrah on the authority of 'Aishah. Umm Habibah had a prolonged flow of blood. She asked the Prophet (ﷺ). He commanded her to abandon prayer during her menstrual period.

Abu Dawud said: This is a misunderstanding on the part of Ibn 'Uyainah. This is not found in the tradition reported by the transmitter from al-Zuhri except that mentioned by Suhail b. Abu Salih. Al-Humaidi also narrated this tradition from Ibn 'Uyainah, but he did not mention the words "she should abandon prayer during her menstrual period."1

Qumair daughter of Masruq reported on the authority of 'Aishah: The woman who has prolonged flow of blood should abandon prayer during her menstrual period.3

'Abd al-Rahman b. al-Qasim reported on the authority of his father: The Prophet (ﷺ) commanded her to abandon prayers equal (to the length of time) that she has her (usual) menses.2

Abu Bishr Ja'far b. Abi Wahshiyyah reported on the authority of 'Ikrimah from the Prophet (ﷺ) saying: Umm Habibah daughter of Jahsh had a prolonged flow of blood; and he transmitted like that.1

Sharik narrated from Abu al-Yaqzan from 'Adi b. Thabit from his father on the authority of his grandfather from the Prophet (ﷺ): The woman suffering from a prolonged flow of blood should abandon prayer during her menstrual period ; she then should was herself and pray. 1

Al-'Ala b. al-Musayyab reported from al-Hakam on the authority of Abu Ja'far, saying: Saudah had a prolonged flow of blood. The Prophet (ﷺ) commanded that when he menstruation was finished, she should take bath and pray.1

Sa'id b. Jubair reported from 'Ali and Ibn 'Abbas : A woman suffering from a prolonged flow of blood should refrain from prayers during her menstrual period.1

'Ammar, the freed slave of Banu Hashim and Talq b. Habib narrated in a similar way.1

Similarly, it was reported by Ma'qil al-Khath'ami from 'Ali4, al-Sha'bi also transmitted it in a similar manner from Qumair, the wife of Masruq, on the authority of 'Aishah.1

Abu Dawud said: Al-Hasan, Sa'id b. al-Musayyab, 'Ata, Makhul, Ibrahim, Salim and al-Qasim also hold that a woman suffering from a prolonged flow of blood should abandon prayer during her menstrual period.

Abu Dawud said: Qatadah did not hear anything from 'Urwah.