Hadith Text

"We went out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with no intention other than Hajj. When he was in Sarif I began menstruating. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered upon me and I was weeping. He said: 'What is the matter with you? Has you Nifas begun?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'This is something that Allah the Mighty and Sublime has decreed for the daughters of Adam. Do what the pilgrims do but do not perform Tawaf around the House.'"

Scholarly Commentary

This narration from Sunan an-Nasa'i 348 demonstrates the Prophet's compassionate guidance regarding women's natural conditions during pilgrimage. The weeping woman feared her menstrual cycle would invalidate her Hajj, but the Prophet reassured her this was Allah's decree for women.

The ruling establishes that menstruating women may perform all Hajj rites except Tawaf, which requires ritual purity. They may perform Sa'i between Safa and Marwah, stand at Arafat, stay at Muzdalifah, and stone the Jamarat. This reflects Islam's practical accommodation of natural biological processes.

The distinction between Nifas (postpartum bleeding) and Hayd (menstruation) is noted here, as the Prophet used the term "Nifas" though the context indicates menstruation, showing the terms were sometimes used interchangeably in common parlance.

Juridical Implications

Menstruating women complete all Hajj rituals except Tawaf al-Ifadah, which they postpone until purification. They remain in Ihram and are not considered to have invalidated their pilgrimage.

This hadith from The Book of Menstruation and Istihadah shows Islam's balanced approach - maintaining religious obligations while recognizing natural limitations, ensuring no woman is deprived of Hajj rewards due to physiological conditions beyond her control.