SECTION OF PURIFICATION · 122 – PERFORMING GHUSL DUE TO MENSTRUATION
313 – From Umayya bint Abi Salt (may Allah be pleased with her), who narrated from a woman of Banu Ghifar whose name she disclosed to her. That woman said: The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) seated me behind the saddle of his camel, on the rear. By Allah, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) continued until morning and made his camel kneel down. I dismounted from behind the saddle, and behold, there was blood from me on the rear of the saddle; that was the first time I experienced menstruation. Out of shame, I held onto the camel. When the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) saw my state and the blood, he said, “(What has happened to you?) You have most likely begun menstruating.” I replied, “Yes.” The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Clean yourself, then take a bowl of water, add a little salt to it, and wash the blood that has stained the rear of the saddle, then return to your mount.” She said: When the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) conquered Khaybar, he gave us some of the spoils of war. Whenever she purified herself from menstruation, she would add salt to the water of purification. She also bequeathed that salt be added to the water with which she would be washed after her death.
EXPLANATION
Hakiba: Refers to a saddlebag. It also refers to a cloth sack resembling a saddlebag that extends behind the saddle placed on the camel’s back, located at the rear of the saddle. It is tied to the back of the saddle, sometimes filled, and sat upon. Kahil: Refers to the saddle. The name of the Ghifari woman not mentioned in the hadith is “Layla.” She is the wife of Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him). This noble hadith is evidence that salt may be used for purification, and that thread may be soaked with a paste made from flour. Layla (may Allah be pleased with her) bequeathed that the salt recommended by the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) be used for her funeral as a means of seeking blessing (tabarruk):
314 – It is narrated from ʿĀʾisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: Asmāʾ (may Allah be pleased with her) entered upon the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked, “O Messenger of Allah, how should one of us wash herself after being purified from menstruation?” The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “She should prepare her fiber and water, first perform ablution, then wash her head and rub it so that the water reaches the roots of the hair, then pour water over her body and wash herself, then take a piece of cotton and purify herself with it.” Asmāʾ said: “O Messenger of Allah, how should I purify myself with the cotton?” ʿĀʾisha said: I understood what the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) was alluding to. I said to Asmāʾ, “You will purify the traces of blood with the cotton, using it one after another.” [230]
EXPLANATION
Furṣa: A piece of cotton, or a piece of cloth with a fuzzy surface. When the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) described the ghusl, he explained that the woman should take the cloth she holds and wipe away the traces of blood with it to purify herself. When Asmāʾ did not understand, ʿĀʾisha comprehended the situation and explained it to her.
315 – From ʿĀʾisha (may Allah be pleased with her): ʿĀʾisha praised the women of the Anṣār, speaking well of them, and said that one of them came to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), and narrated the meaning of the previous hadith. However, in that narration, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “with musk-scented cotton.” Musaddad said: In the narration of Abū ʿAwana, it is furṣatan = a piece of cotton, while Abū al-Aḥwas said karsatan = a piece.
EXPLANATION
Mumassaka: Scented with musk, perfumed with musk. A woman who has completed her menstruation applies musk to the cloth or piece of cotton to remove the foul odor resulting from menstruation and to better purify the organ, then cleanses herself. Some have said that mumassaka means “held in the hand.”
EXPLANATION
316 – It is narrated from ʿĀʾisha (may Allah be pleased with her): Asmāʾ asked the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), and the meaning is as in the previous hadith. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “You purify yourself with a piece scented with musk.” Asmāʾ said, “How should I purify myself with it?” The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Subḥānallah! Purify yourself with a piece of cloth,” and out of modesty, he covered his face with a garment. In this narration, there is also the addition that Asmāʾ asked the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) about washing after major ritual impurity (janābah). The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “You take water and purify yourself in the best and most complete manner, then pour water over your head and rub it so that it reaches the roots of the hair, and then pour water over your entire body and wash yourself.” ʿĀʾisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The women of the Anṣār are excellent women; their modesty does not prevent them from asking about religious matters and increasing their religious knowledge. Subḥānallah: In essence, it is an expression of glorification, but here it is used to express amazement, as in: Are you unaware of how to purify yourself? Purify yourself with a cloth, he said, and while saying this, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) covered his face with a garment out of modesty.