Menstrual Periods
كتاب الحيض
Chapter 1: How the menses started
كَيْفَ كَانَ بَدْءُ الْحَيْضِ
And the statement of the Prophet ﷺ, “This is a thing which Allah has ordained for the daughters of Adam.” Some people said that the menses first came for Bani Israel. But what the Prophet ﷺ said is more comprehensive (the truth).
`Aisha said, "We set out with the sole intention of performing Hajj and when we reached Sarif, (a place six miles from Mecca) I got my menses. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to me while I was weeping. He said 'What is the matter with you? Have you got your menses?' I replied, 'Yes.' He said, 'This is a thing which Allah has ordained for the daughters of Adam. So do what all the pilgrims do with the exception of the Tawaf (Circumambulation) round the Ka`ba." `Aisha added, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sacrificed cows on behalf of his wives."
Chapter 2: The washing of the husband's head and the combing of his hair by a menstruating wife
غَسْلِ الْحَائِضِ رَأْسَ زَوْجِهَا وَتَرْجِيلِهِ
While in menses, I used to comb the hair of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) .
A person asked me, "Can a woman in menses serve me? And can a Junub woman come close to me?" I replied, "All this is easy for me. All of them can serve me, and there is no harm for any other person to do the same. `Aisha told me that she used to comb the hair of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) while she was in her menses, and he was in I`tikaf (in the mosque). He would bring his head near her in her room and she would comb his hair, while she used to be in her menses."
Chapter 3: To recite the Qur'an while lying in the lap of one's own menstruating wife
قِرَاءَةِ الرَّجُلِ فِي حَجْرِ امْرَأَتِهِ وَهْىَ حَائِضٌ
Abu Wa’il used to send his menstruating maid servant to bring the Qur’an from Abi Razin by carrying it from the hanger (of its case).
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to lean on my lap and recite Qur'an while I was in menses.
Chapter 4: Using the word Nifas for menses
مَنْ سَمَّى النِّفَاسَ حَيْضًا
While I was laying with the Prophet (ﷺ) under a single woolen sheet, I got the menses. I slipped away and put on the clothes for menses. He said, "Have you got "Nifas" (menses)?" I replied, "Yes." He then called me and made me lie with him under the same sheet.
Chapter 5: Fondling a menstruating wife
مُبَاشَرَةِ الْحَائِضِ
The Prophet (ﷺ) and I used to take a bath from a single pot while we were Junub. During the menses, he used to order me to put on an Izar (dress worn below the waist) and used to fondle me. While in I`tikaf, he used to bring his head near me and I would wash it while I used to be in my periods (menses).
(on the authority of his father) `Aisha said: "Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) wanted to fondle anyone of us during her periods (menses), he used to order her to put on an Izar and start fondling her." `Aisha added, "None of you could control his sexual desires as the Prophet (ﷺ) could."
When ever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) wanted to fondle any of his wives during the periods (menses), he used to ask her to wear an Izar.
Chapter 6: A menstruating women should leave observing Saum (fasting)
تَرْكِ الْحَائِضِ الصَّوْمَ
Once Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went out to the Musalla (to offer the prayer) of `Id-al-Adha or Al-Fitr prayer. Then he passed by the women and said, "O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (women)." They asked, "Why is it so, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ?" He replied, "You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you." The women asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion?" He said, "Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?" They replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn't it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?" The women replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her religion."
Chapter 7: A menstruating women should perform all the ceremonies of Hajj except the Tawaf around the Ka'bah
تَقْضِي الْحَائِضُ الْمَنَاسِكَ كُلَّهَا إِلاَّ الطَّوَافَ بِالْبَيْتِ
Ibrahim said, “There is no harm in reciting a Verse of the Qur’an by a menstruating woman.” Ibn ‘Abbas considers that there was no harm in the recitation of the Qur’an by a Junub. The Prophet ﷺ used to remember (glorify) Allah at all times. Umm ‘Atiyya said that they were ordered to let the menstruating women come out (on festivals) to say Takbirat (Allahu-Akbar), and to invoke Allah. Ibn ‘Abbas narrated on the authority of Abu Sufyan: Heraclius asked for the letter of the Prophet ﷺ and read it. It began: “In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you that we worship none but Allah …” (V.3:64). And ‘Ata quoted from Jabir, “Aishah رضي الله عنها got her menses and she performed all the ceremonies of Hajj except the Tawaf round the Ka‘bah and she did not offer Salat (prayers).” Al-Hakam said, “I slaughter the animal even if I were Junub.” And Allah جل جلاله said: “Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allah’s Name has not been pronounced (at the time of slaughtering of the animal).” (V.6:121).
We set out with the Prophet (ﷺ) for Hajj and when we reached Sarif I got my menses. When the Prophet (ﷺ) came to me, I was weeping. He asked, "Why are you weeping?" I said, "I wish if I had not performed Hajj this year." He asked, "May be that you got your menses?" I replied, "Yes." He then said, "This is the thing which Allah has ordained for all the daughters of Adam. So do what all the pilgrims do except that you do not perform the Tawaf round the Ka`ba till you are clean."
Chapter 8: Al-Isthihada [bleeding (from the womb) in between a woman's periods]
الاِسْتِحَاضَةِ
Fatima bint Abi Hubaish said to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I do not become clean (from bleeding). Shall I give up my prayers?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) replied: "No, because it is from a blood vessel and not the menses. So when the real menses begins give up your prayers and when it (the period) has finished wash the blood off your body (take a bath) and offer your prayers."
Chapter 9: Washing out the menstrual blood
غَسْلِ دَمِ الْمَحِيضِ
A woman asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What should we do, if the blood of menses falls on our clothes?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) replied, "If the blood of menses falls on the garment of anyone of you, she must take hold of the blood spot, rub it, and wash it with water and then pray in (with it).
Whenever anyone of us got her menses, she, on becoming clean, used to take hold of the blood spot and rub the blood off her garment, and pour water over it and wash that portion thoroughly and sprinkle water over the rest of the garment. After that she would pray in (with) it.
Chapter 10: The I'tikaf of a woman who is bleeding in between her periods
الاِعْتِكَافِ لِلْمُسْتَحَاضَةِ
Once one of the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) did I`tikaf along with him and she was getting bleeding in between her periods. She used to see the blood (from her private parts) and she would perhaps put a dish under her for the blood. (The sub-narrator `Ikrima added, `Aisha once saw the liquid of safflower and said, "It looks like what so and so used to have.")
"One of the wives of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) joined him in I`tikaf and she noticed blood and yellowish discharge (from her private parts) and put a dish under her when she prayed."
One of the mothers of the faithful believers (i.e. the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) ) did I`tikaf while she was having bleeding in between her periods.
Chapter 11: Can a woman offer her Salat (prayers) in the clothes in which she has her menses?
هَلْ تُصَلِّي الْمَرْأَةُ فِي ثَوْبٍ حَاضَتْ فِيهِ
None of us had more than a single garment and we used to have our menses while wearing it. Whenever it got soiled with blood of menses we used to apply saliva to the blood spot and rub off the blood with our nails.
Chapter 12: Putting perfume by woman at the time of taking a bath after finishing from the menses
الطِّيبِ لِلْمَرْأَةِ عِنْدَ غُسْلِهَا مِنَ الْمَحِيضِ
We were forbidden to mourn for a dead person for more than three days except in the case of a husband for whom mourning was allowed for four months and ten days. (During that time) we were not allowed to put kohl (Antimony eye power) in our eyes or to use perfumes or to put on colored clothes except a dress made of `Asr (a kind of Yemen cloth, very coarse and rough). We were allowed very light perfumes at the time of taking a bath after menses and also we were forbidden to go with the funeral procession .