The Book of Menstruation and Istihadah

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim informed us: Sufyan narrated to us, from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), from his father, from 'A'ishah, who said: We set out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), intending nothing but Hajj. When we were at Sarif, I began menstruating. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came in to me while I was weeping and said: 'What is the matter with you? Have you begun menstruating?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'This is something Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has decreed for the daughters of Adam. So do what a pilgrim does, except do not circumambulate the House.'

'Imran ibn Yazid informed us: Isma'il ibn 'Abdullah—who is Ibn Sama'ah—narrated to us: al-Awza'i narrated to us: Yahya ibn Sa'id narrated to us: Hisham ibn 'Urwah informed me, from 'Urwah, that Fatimah bint Qais, of Banu Asad of Quraysh, came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and told him that she was experiencing irregular uterine bleeding. She reported that he said to her: 'That is a vein. When menstruation begins, stop praying; when it ends, perform ghusl, wash the blood from yourself, then pray.'

Hisham ibn 'Ammar informed us: Sahl ibn Hashim narrated to us; al-Awza'i narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from 'Urwah, from 'A'ishah, that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'When menstruation begins, stop praying; when it ends, perform ghusl.'

Qutaybah informed us: al-Layth narrated to us, from Ibn Shihab, from 'Urwah, from 'A'ishah, who said: Umm Habibah bint Jahsh asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for a ruling, saying: 'O Messenger of Allah, I am experiencing irregular bleeding.' He said: 'That is a vein, so perform ghusl, then pray.' She used to perform ghusl at each prayer.

Qutaybah narrated to us: al-Layth narrated to us, from Yazid ibn Abi Habib, from Ja'far ibn Rabi'ah, from 'Iraq ibn Malik, from 'Urwah, from 'A'ishah, who said: Umm Habibah asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about bleeding. 'A'ishah said: I saw her washbasin full of blood. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to her: 'Stay for the length of time that your period used to keep you from prayer, then perform ghusl.' Qutaybah also informed us of this another time, but did not mention Ja'far ibn Rabi'ah in that version.

Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak informed us: Abu Usamah narrated to us; 'Ubaydullah ibn 'Umar narrated to us; he informed me from Nafi', from Sulayman ibn Yasar, from Umm Salamah, who said: A woman asked the Prophet (ﷺ): 'I am experiencing irregular bleeding and do not become pure; should I stop praying?' He said: 'No. Rather, refrain for the number of those days and nights during which you used to menstruate, then perform ghusl, bind yourself with a cloth, and pray.'

Qutaybah narrated to us, from Malik, from Nafi', from Sulayman ibn Yasar, from Umm Salamah, that a woman was bleeding during the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Umm Salamah sought a ruling for her from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), who said: 'Let her consider the number of nights and days she used to menstruate each month before this began, and let her stop praying for that length of time each month. When that time has passed, let her perform ghusl, bind herself with a cloth, and pray.'

Al-Rabi' ibn Sulayman ibn Dawud ibn Ibrahim informed us: Ishaq narrated to us—he is Ibn Bakr ibn Mudar—and said: My father narrated to me, from Yazid ibn 'Abdullah—he is Ibn Usamah ibn al-Had—and from Abu Bakr—Ibn Muhammad ibn 'Amr ibn Hazm—from 'Amrah, from 'A'ishah, who said: Umm Habibah bint Jahsh, who was married to 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, suffered from irregular bleeding and did not become pure. Her case was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), who said: 'This is not menstruation; rather, it is a thrust from the womb. Let her determine the length of her usual menstrual period and refrain from prayer for that time. Afterward, let her perform ghusl at every prayer.'

Abu Musa informed us: Sufyan narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from 'Amrah, from 'A'ishah, that a daughter of Jahsh experienced irregular bleeding for seven years. She asked the Prophet (ﷺ), and he said: 'That is not menstruation; it is only a vein.' He instructed her to refrain from prayer for the length of her usual menstrual period, then to perform ghusl and pray. She used to perform ghusl at every prayer.

'Isa ibn Hammad informed us: al-Layth informed us, from Yazid ibn Abi Habib, from Bukayr ibn 'Abdullah, from al-Mundhir ibn al-Mughirah, from 'Urwah, that Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh told him that she came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and complained to him of bleeding. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to her: 'That is only a vein. When your usual menstrual period comes, do not pray; when it has passed, purify yourself, then pray between one period and the next.' Abu 'Abd al-Rahman said: Hisham ibn 'Urwah also narrated this hadith from 'Urwah, but did not mention what al-Mundhir mentioned in it.

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim informed us: 'Abdah, Waki', and Abu Mu'awiyah said: Hisham ibn 'Urwah narrated to us, from his father, from 'A'ishah, who said: Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: 'I am a woman who experiences irregular bleeding and never becomes pure; should I stop praying?' He said: 'No. That is only a vein, not menstruation. When menstruation begins, stop praying; when it ends, wash the blood from yourself and pray.'

Muhammad ibn Bashshar informed us: Muhammad narrated to us: Shu'bah narrated to us, from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Qasim, from his father, from 'A'ishah, that a woman who suffered from irregular bleeding during the time of the Prophet (ﷺ) was told: 'It is a persistent vein.' She was instructed to delay Zuhr and bring 'Asr forward, performing one ghusl for both; to delay Maghrib and bring 'Isha' forward, performing one ghusl for both; and to perform one ghusl for the Subh prayer.

Suwayd ibn Nasr informed us: 'Abdullah narrated to us, from Sufyan, from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Qasim, from al-Qasim, from Zaynab bint Jahsh, who said: I told the Prophet (ﷺ) that she was experiencing irregular bleeding. He said: 'She should refrain for the days of her usual menstrual cycles, then perform ghusl; delay Zuhr and bring 'Asr forward, then perform ghusl and pray; delay Maghrib and bring 'Isha' forward, then perform ghusl and pray both together; and perform ghusl for Fajr.'

Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna informed us: Ibn Abi 'Adi narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn 'Amr—he is Ibn 'Alqamah ibn Waqqas—from Ibn Shihab, from 'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, from Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh, who was experiencing irregular bleeding. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to her: 'When it is menstrual blood—and it is black blood that is recognizable—refrain from prayer. When it is the other blood, perform ablution, for it is only a vein.' Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna said: Ibn Abi 'Adi narrated this to us from his book.

Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna informed us: Ibn Abi 'Adi narrated to us from memory: Muhammad ibn 'Amr narrated to us, from Ibn Shihab, from 'Urwah, from 'A'ishah, that Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh was experiencing irregular bleeding. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to her: 'Menstrual blood is black blood that is recognizable. When that is the case, refrain from prayer; when it is the other kind, perform ablution and pray.' Abu 'Abd al-Rahman said: More than one person narrated this hadith, but none of them mentioned what Ibn Abi 'Adi mentioned. And Allah Most High knows best.

Yahya ibn Habib ibn 'Arabi informed us: Hammad narrated to us, from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, from his father, from 'A'ishah, who said: Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh experienced irregular bleeding and asked the Prophet (ﷺ): 'Messenger of Allah, I am experiencing irregular bleeding and do not become pure. Should I stop praying?' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'That is only a vein, not menstruation. When menstruation begins, stop praying; when it ends, wash the blood from yourself, perform ablution, and pray. It is only a vein, not menstruation.' He was asked: 'What about ghusl?' He replied: 'No one doubts that.' Abu 'Abd al-Rahman said: More than one person narrated this hadith from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, and none of them mentioned 'and perform ablution' except Hammad. And Allah Most High knows best.

Suwayd ibn Nasr informed us: 'Abdullah narrated to us, from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, from his father, from 'A'ishah, that Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: 'Messenger of Allah, I am experiencing irregular bleeding and do not become pure.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'That is only a vein, not menstruation. When menstruation begins, refrain from prayer; when it ends, wash the blood from yourself and pray.'

Qutaybah narrated to us, from Malik, from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, from his father, from 'A'ishah, who said: Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): 'I do not become pure; should I stop praying?' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'That is only a vein, not menstruation. When menstruation begins, stop praying; when its usual duration has passed, wash the blood from yourself and pray.'

Abu al-Ash'ath informed us: Khalid ibn al-Harith narrated to us; he said: I heard Hisham relating from his father, from 'A'ishah, that the daughter of Abi Hubaysh said: 'Messenger of Allah, I do not become pure; should I stop praying?' He said: 'No, it is only a vein.' Khalid added: In what I read to him, the wording was: 'It is not menstruation. When menstruation begins, stop praying; when it ends, wash the blood from yourself, then pray.'

'Amr ibn Zurarah informed us: Isma'il informed us, from Ayyub, from Muhammad, who said: Umm 'Atiyyah said: We used not to regard yellowish or brownish discharge as anything significant.