Book 6: Menstruation

Sahih al-Bukhari 294

ʿĀʾishah (r.a) narrated: ‘We set out with the sole [intention] of performing the Ḥajj and when we reached Sarif, my menstrual period started. The Messenger of Allāh (saw) came to me as I was crying. He asked: “What is the matter? Have you started menstruating?” I replied: “Yes.” He said: “Indeed this is a matter decreed by Allāh for the daughters of Adam (as), so do everything that the other pilgrims do, except for circumambulating the Kaʿbah”.’ She further narrated, saying: ‘And the Messenger of Allāh (saw) sacrificed cows on behalf of all of his wives.’

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 295

ʿĀʾishah (r.a) narrated: ‘I would comb the hair of the Messenger of Allāh (saw) during my menstrual period.’

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 296

ʿUrwah (r.a) narrated that he was asked: ‘Is it permissible for a menstruating woman to serve me or for a woman in a state of major ritual impurity to come near me?’ ʿUrwah (r.a) replied: ‘This entire matter is easy for me, because such women serve me and there is nothing wrong with anyone else doing the same. ʿĀʾishah (r.a) told me that during her menstrual period, she would comb the hair of the Messenger of Allāh (saw) while he was observing iʿtikāf in the Mosque: he would bring his head near her while she was in her chamber, and she would comb his hair while she was menstruating.’

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 297

ʿĀʾishah (r.a) narrated: ‘The Prophet (saw) would recline on my lap during my menstrual period, and then recite the Qurʾān.’

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 298

Umm Salamah (r.a) narrated: ‘Once I was lying with the Prophet (saw) under a sheet and I started menstruating, so I slipped away and retrieved my menstrual clothes. He asked: “Are you experiencing menstrual bleeding (nifās)?” I replied: “Yes.” He called me back, and I lay with him under the sheet.’

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 299

ʿĀʾishah (r.a) narrated: ‘The Prophet (saw) and I would bathe from the same vessel when we were both in a state of major ritual impurity (janābah).’

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 300

‘And he used to tell me to don an izār [a loose garment which covers the lower body] and he would lie with me, touching my body with his own while I was menstruating.’

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 301

‘And he would extend his head towards me while he was observing iʿtikāf, and I would wash it while I was menstruating.’

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 302

ʿĀʾishah (r.a) narrated: ‘When any of us were menstruating and the Messenger of Allāh (saw) wished to lie with her, touching her body with his own, he would tell her to put on an izār during the peak of her menstruation. Then he would lie with her, touching her body with his own.’ She further added: ‘Who among you can control his desires as the Prophet (saw) could control them?’

[Just like ʿAlī ibn Mushir], Khalīd [ibn ʿAbd ʿAllāh al-Wasiṭī] and Jarīr [ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd] narrated this ḥadīth via al-Shaibānī.

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 303

Maimūnah (r.a) narrated that whenever the Messenger of Allāh (saw) wished to lie with one of his wives during her menstrual period, touching her body with his own, he would tell her to don a waistcloth. Sufyān [al-Thawrī] has also narrated this ḥadīth via al-Shaibānī.

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 304

Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (r.a) narrated: ‘The Messenger of Allāh (saw) set out on the day of ʿĪd al-Aḍḥá or ʿĪd al-Fiṭr to where the Prayer was taking place. He passed by the women and said: “O women! Give in charity, as I have been shown that there is an abundance of you among the people of Hell.” They asked: “Why is that, O Messenger of Allāh?” He replied: “You curse excessively and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone so lacking in intellect and in religion who can snatch away the judgement of a strong-willed man more than you can.” They asked: “And what is lacking in our religion and our intellect, O Messenger of Allāh?” He replied: “Is the testimony of a woman not equivalent to half the testimony of a man?” They replied: “Yes.” He said: “Then this is what is lacking in her intellect. Is it not the case that during her menstrual period, she cannot offer Prayer nor fast?” They replied: “Yes.” He said: “This is what is lacking in her religion”.’

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 305

ʿĀʾishah (r.a) narrated: ‘We set out with the Prophet (saw) with the intention solely of performing the Ḥajj. When we reached Sarif, my menstrual period had begun. The Messenger of Allāh (saw) came to me while I was crying and asked: “Why are you crying?” I replied: “I wish I were not performing the Ḥajj this year.” He said: “Perhaps your menses has begun?” I said: “Yes.” He said: “Indeed this is a matter which has been decreed by Allāh for the daughters of Adam (as). Do everything the other pilgrims do except for circumambulating the Kaʿbah, until you are clean”.’

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 306

ʿĀʾishah (r.a) narrated that the daughter of Abū Ḥubaish, Fāṭimah (r.a) said to the Messenger of Allāh (saw): ‘O Messenger of Allāh! I can never be in a state of purity [due to constant bleeding], should I abandon Prayer?’ The Messenger of Allāh (saw) replied: ‘This is the [state of] bleeding from a blood vessel and not the [state of] menstruation. When the menses arrives, refrain from the Prayer, and when its time has passed, wash away the blood and pray’.’

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 307

The daughter of Abū Bakr (r.a), Asmāʾ (r.a) narrated: ‘A woman asked the Messenger of Allāh (saw): “O Messenger of Allāh, what should any of us do if menstrual blood has stained her clothes?” The Messenger of Allāh (saw) replied: “If someone’s clothes have been stained by menstrual blood, she should rub it off and then wash them with water. Then she may offer Prayer in it”.’

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 308

ʿĀʾishah (r.a) narrated: ‘Whenever one of us experienced menstruation, she would remove the blood from her clothing once she became clean, wash them and sprinkle water over the rest of it. Then, she would offer Prayer whilst wearing it.’

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 309

ʿIkrimah narrated that ʿĀʾishah (r.a) said that one of the Prophet’s wives observed iʿtikāf with him, while she was experiencing istiḥāḍah. She noticed the presence of blood and sometimes placed a basin underneath herself due to the blood. [ʿIkrimah] thinks that when ʿĀʾishah (r.a) saw safflower water (ʿuṣfur), she said: ‘This is similar to what so-and-so used to experience.’

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 310

ʿĀʾishah (r.a) narrated that one of the wives of the Messenger of Allāh (saw) performed iʿtikāf with him. She noticed the presence of blood and yellow discharge. A basin was placed underneath her and she continued to offer Prayer.

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 311

ʿĀʾishah (r.a) narrated that one of the Mothers of the Believers performed iʿtikāf while she was experiencing istiḥāḍah.

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 312

Mujāhid (rh) narrated that ʿĀʾishah (r.a) said: ‘Each one of us only had one garment, and we would menstruate while wearing it. If any blood stained it, she would dampen it with her saliva and scrape it off with her nail.’

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Sahih al-Bukhari 313

Umm ʿAṭiyyah (r.a) narrated: ‘We were forbidden to mourn over any dead person for more than three days, other than our husbands [who we would mourn for] four months and ten days; and [we were also instructed] that [during this period] we should not apply kuḥl [eyeliner], perfume or wear dyed clothes, except such clothes which were already coloured. When we bathed after menstruation and became pure, we were permitted to apply some fragrance made of costus (kust aẓfār). We were prohibited from accompanying funeral processions.’

[Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Bukhārī (rh)] said that Hishām ibn Ḥassān related this on the authority of Ḥafṣah, who narrated it from Umm ʿAṭiyyah (r.a). She reported it from the Prophet (saw).

Translation: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat