SECTION ON PURITY · 108 – RULES REGARDING IMPURITY FROM BLEEDING
274 – Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, from the family of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, relates: There was a woman who continuously bled during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Umm Salamah asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, for a legal opinion regarding this matter. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Let her wait as many days and nights as she used to experience menstruation before this affliction befell her, abandoning prayer during that period. Once that period has passed, let her perform ablution, then bind a cloth to her lower garment to prevent the blood from flowing." (And pray her prayers.)
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EXPLANATION:
The continuous bleeding experienced by a woman who does not cease is termed *istihaẓah*, which is considered an excuse [from prayer]. Such a woman should calculate, based on the number of days she used to menstruate each month before being afflicted with this condition, and abandon prayer for that duration. Afterwards, she should perform ablution and bind a cloth to prevent the blood from flowing and pray her prayers.
Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: A woman was experiencing continuous bleeding. She mentioned the meaning of the preceding hadith. Layth transmitted that he heard him say: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said, “The menstrual days end and remain; and if the time for prayer arrives, she should perform ablution until it is complete.”
It is related from one of the Ansar that a woman was experiencing continuous bleeding. The narrator then mentioned the meaning of the Hadith of Leys (mentioned above).
Narrated from Nafi’, through the chain of narration of Layth, in a similar meaning to the preceding hadith, Nafi’ – may Allah be pleased with him – narrated:
“Let her abandon prayer for as long as that [condition] persists; and when it ends, if the time of prayer has entered, let her bathe, put on clean clothes, perfume herself, and pray.”
Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated through Sulayman ibn Yasir from Umm Salamah, relating the aforementioned event, and said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said: “She leaves prayer, then performs ghusl after her menstrual period. She perfumes herself and prays.”
Abu Dawud said: The name of the menstruating woman in this hadith is Fatima bint Abi Hubaysh. He narrated it through Hammad ibn Zayd from Mayyir.
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) related:
Ummu Habiba (may Allah be pleased with her) asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) about blood from an excuse (postpartum bleeding). Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
The washing basin of Ummu Salama was filled with blood. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said to her, “You wait until your menstrual period ceases, then you bathe.” [216]
Urve ibn Zubayr, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated: Fatima bint Abi Hubaysh told him that she repeatedly asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, for a ruling regarding bleeding. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to her, “It is an affliction; so avoid prayer when your menstrual period comes, purify yourself once it passes, and [perform] your prayers even if bleeding occurs between two periods.”
Urvah ibn Zubayr, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that Fatima bint Hubaysh informed me – or that Asma informed her, and she commanded her to ask the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him – about a time when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, did not perform prayer and remained seated; he ordered her to remain in that position until finished, then to bathe.
Abu Dawud said: This hadith from Urwah ibn Zubayr was narrated by Zaynab bint Umm Salamah. The daughter of Jahsh, Ummu Habibah, suffered from bleeding. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered her to omit prayer during her menstrual period, then to bathe and pray.
Abu Dawud said: (Katada did not hear anything from Urwah.)
Ibn Uyaynah added a narration from Amra, through whom Amra narrated from Aisha. Ummu Habibah experienced bleeding due to an affliction; she asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, for a ruling. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered her to omit prayer during her menstrual period.
Abu Dawud said: This narration from Ibn Uyaynah is considered weak. This addition is not found in the narrations of the memorizers from Zuhri, except that Humayd narrated it from Ibn Huyaynah, where Suyhayl ibn Abi Salih mentioned it. There, he did not say "omit prayer during her menstrual period," but Kamira, daughter of Amr, the wife of Masruk, narrated from Aisha:
“A woman experiencing bleeding due to an affliction omits prayer during her menstrual period and then bathes.”
Abd al-Rahman ibn Qasim reported from his father, who said that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered her to omit prayer for as long as she experienced the bleeding.
Abu Bashir Ja’far ibn Abi Wahshi narrated from Ikrimah, who narrated from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, a similar account regarding Ummu Habibah, daughter of Jahsh, experiencing bleeding due to an affliction.
Sharika al-Yakzan reported from Adi ibn Sabit, who reported from his father, who reported from his grandfather, who reported from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him:
“A woman experiencing bleeding due to an affliction omits prayer during her menstrual period, then bathes and prays.” Ala’ ibn Musayyah narrated from Hakim, who narrated from Abu Ja'far.
Indeed, Sawda, may Allah be pleased with her, experienced bleeding due to an affliction. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered her, and she bathed after the end of her menstrual period and prayed.
Said ibn Jubayr reported from Ali and Ibn Abbas:
“A woman experiencing bleeding due to an affliction sits during her menstrual period [and does not pray].”
Similarly, Ammar, a freed slave of Banu Hashim, and Talk ibn Habib narrated it from Ibn Abbas; similarly, Malik al-Hash’ami narrated it from Ali, may Allah be pleased with him. Similarly, Shabih narrated from Kamira, the wife of Masruk, who narrated from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her.
Abu Dawud said: This is the statement of Hasan, Said ibn Musayyab, Ata Makhul, Ibrahim Salim, and Qasim.
A woman experiencing bleeding due to an affliction omits prayer during her menstrual period. Abu Dawud said: (Katada did not hear anything from Urwah.)