The Book of Menstruation

كتاب الحيض

Chapter 12: Ruling on the braids of a woman who is doing ghusl

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.

Chapter 13: It is recommended for the woman who is performing ghusl following menses to apply a piece of cloth scented with musk to the site of the bleeding

'A'isha reported

A woman asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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 Prophet had done). 'A'isha reported: I dragged her to my side for I had understood what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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 Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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.

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).

Chapter 14: The ghusl and the prayer of a woman who is suffering prolonged vaginal bleeding (istihadah)

This hadith has been thus reported by another chain of transmitters

Umm Habiba b. Jahsh came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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.

Chapter 16: Covering oneself with a garment and the like while performing ghusl

Maimuna reported

I placed water for the Apostle (ﷺ) and provided privacy for him, and he took a bath.

Chapter 21: At the beginning of Islam, intercourse did not necessitate ghusl unless semen was emitted, then that was abrogated and ghusl becomes obligatory for intercourse

Sa'id al-Khudri narrated it from his father

I went to Quba' with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on Monday till we reached (the habitation) of Banu Salim. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood at the door of 'Itban and called him loudly. So he came out dragging his lower garnment. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: We have made this man to make haste 'Itban said: Messenger of Allah, if a man parts with his wife suddenly without seminal emission, what is he required to do (with regard to bath)? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: It is with the seminal emission that bath becomes obligatory.

Abu al. 'Ala' b. al-Shikhkhir said

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) abrogated some of his commands by others, just as the Qur'an abrogates some part with the other.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) happened to pass by (the house) of a man amongst the Ansar, and he sent for him. He came out and water was trickling down from his head. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: Perhaps we put you to haste. He said: Yes. Messenger of Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: When you made haste or semen is not emitted, bathing is not obligatory for you, but ablution is binding. Ibn Bashshir has narrated it with a minor alteration.

Chapter 10: The amount of water with which it is recommended to perform ghusl in the case of janabah; a man and woman washing from a single vessel; one of them washing with the left-over water of the other

Anas said

The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) performed ablution with one Mudd and took bath with a Sa' up to five Mudds.

Chapter 11: It is recommended to pour water over the head, and elsewhere, three times

Jubair b. Mut'im reported

The people contended amongst themselves in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with regard to bathing. Some of them said: We wash our heads like this and this. Upon this the Messenger (ﷺ) said: As for me I pour three handfuls of water upon my head.

Jubair b. Mut'im reported it from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that a mention was made before him about bathing because of sexual intercourse and he said

I pour water over my head thrice.

Chapter 14: The ghusl and the prayer of a woman who is suffering prolonged vaginal bleeding (istihadah)

'A'isha reported

Umm Habiba b. Jahsh thus asked for a verdict from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): 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 (ﷺ) 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 Apostle (ﷺ), said

Umm Habiba b. Jahsh who was the spouse of Abd al- Rahman b. Auf made a complaint to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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.

Chapter 15: A menstruating woman is obliged to make up missed fasts but not prayers

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.

Chapter 16: Covering oneself with a garment and the like while performing ghusl

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.

Chapter 17: The prohibition of looking at `awrah

This hadith has been narrated by Ibn Abu Fudaik and Dabbik b. 'Uthman with the same chain of transmitters and they observed

Private parts of man are the nakedness (which is concealed).

Chapter 18: It is permissible to bathe naked when one is alone

Amongst the traditions narrated from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the authority of Abu Huraira, the one is that Banu Isra'il used to take a bath naked, and they looked at the private parts of one another. Moses (peace be upon him), however, took a bath alone (in privacy) ; and they said (tauntingly)

By Allah, nothing prohibits Moses to take a bath along with us, but sacrotal hernia. He (Moses) once went for a bath and placed his clothes on a stone and the stone moved on with his clothes. Moses ran after it saying: 0 stone, my clothes,0 stone, my clothes, and Banu Isra'il had the chance to see the private parts of Moses, and said: By Allah, Moses does not suffer from any ailment. The stone then stopped, till Moses had been seen by them, and he then took hold of his clothes and struck the stone. Abu Huraira said: By Allah, there are the marks of six or seven strokes made by Moses on the stone.