"I heard Aisha (ra) say: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), Abii Al-Qbim, and I were beneath a single blanket, andI was menstruating. If something got on him from me, he would wash whatever had got on him and he did not wash anywhere else, and he prayed in it then came back to me.And if anything got on him from me,he would do exactly the same and hedid not wash anywhere else."'
Hadith Text & Context
This narration from Sunan an-Nasa'i 773, reported by Aisha (ra), describes a situation where she was menstruating while sharing a blanket with the Prophet (ﷺ) and her father Abu Bakr. The Prophet maintained ritual purity for prayer by washing only the specific areas affected by menstrual blood, without requiring a complete body wash.
Scholarly Commentary
This hadith establishes several important rulings regarding ritual purity (taharah). Firstly, it demonstrates that mere proximity to a menstruating woman does not invalidate one's purity - only direct contact with menstrual blood requires washing.
Secondly, the Prophet's practice of washing only the affected area shows the principle of ease in Islamic law - one need not wash the entire garment or body when only a specific part has been soiled.
Thirdly, this narration indicates the permissibility of physical closeness with one's menstruating wife, as the Prophet shared a blanket with Aisha during her period.
Juridical Rulings Derived
Menstrual blood is considered najis (impure), and any contact requires purification before prayer.
The minimum required purification is washing the affected area only, not the entire body or garment.
Sharing living space and physical proximity with a menstruating woman is permissible and does not break wudu.
This hadith reflects the balanced approach of Islamic law between maintaining purity and facilitating ease in marital life.