She also said, “I would drink when I was menstruating, then hand it to the Prophet, 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 to the Prophet, and he would put his mouth where mine had been.” Muslim transmitted it.
Purification - Mishkat al-Masabih 547
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our Master Muhammad, his family, and companions.
This noble hadith transmitted by the Mother of the Believers, 'A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her), contains profound legal and spiritual wisdom. The apparent action demonstrates the purity and sanctity of the believer, even during menstruation. The menstruating woman remains pure in her essence, only prohibited from specific acts of worship.
The Prophet's action (peace be upon him) of drinking from the same place and eating from the same bone establishes that menstrual blood does not render the woman fundamentally impure (najis). This refutes pre-Islamic customs that treated menstruating women as completely contaminated. The wisdom here is to maintain marital intimacy and avoid unnecessary hardship.
Scholars derive from this that sharing utensils with menstruating women is permissible, and that saliva does not transmit impurity. This hadith exemplifies the moderate approach of Islamic law, balancing spiritual requirements with human nature and compassion.
The chain of transmission through Imam Muslim confirms its authenticity, making it among the soundest proofs in Islamic jurisprudence regarding purification laws and the status of menstruating women.