Islam's Honoring of the Menstruating and Postpartum Woman, in Contrast to the Old Testament
Prepared by: Raji Rida Allah
www.islamic-invitation.com
First: The Status of the Menstruating and Postpartum Woman in Islam
The Foundational Principle
Among the established classifications in Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) is that legal purification (ṭahārah) is of two types: Ṭahārah from Ḥadath (minor/major ritual impurity, such as purification from menstruation and major ritual impurity), which is a spiritual/legal state attached to the body that prevents one from worship, and its removal—according to the majority of jurists—requires the intention (niyyah) to be raised, performed in a specific manner such as wuḍūʾ (ablution) or ghusl (ritual bathing).
And Ṭahārah from Khabath (physical filth), which specifically concerns the removal of legally-defined physical impurities (such as urine and blood), and which disappears merely by the physical removal and elimination of its substance, without requiring the intention (niyyah) of worship, according to the majority of jurists.
As for pure material substances that are simply unclean (such as fat, grease, and dirt), removing them falls under the general category of recommended cleanliness, and is not, of course, legally obligatory ritual purification—since its absence does not invalidate the validity of prayer at all, and it shares with (legal) impurities the characteristic that intention (niyyah) is not required for its removal.
The Siwak (Tooth-stick) and the Removal of "Adhā" (Harm)
The Prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) ﷺ described the siwak (tooth-stick) as "a purifier for the mouth, pleasing to the Lord" [narrated by Aḥmad], since a foul or altered mouth odor is considered a sensory harm (adhā ḥissī) and an occasional change. For this reason, using the siwak was recommended as an act of worship and as cleanliness at all times.
Menstruation (Al-Maḥīḍ) in the Noble Qur'an: A Sensory "Harm" (Adhā) — Not an Inherent Physical Impurity
Allah the Exalted said in Sūrat al-Baqarah: “And they ask you about Al-Maḥīḍ [the site, state, and period of menstruation]. Say, 'It is harm, so keep away from [sexual intercourse with] women during Al-Maḥīḍ...'” (Al-Baqarah: 222).
In this noble verse, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, did not say, "Say, it is najas (an inherent physical impurity)," but rather, “Say, it is adhā (a localized harm/discomfort)”—which represents a profound, miraculous Qur'anic expression.
This linguistic distinction is rooted in the specific choice of the word Al-Maḥīḍ (المحيض) over the standard term Al-Ḥayḍ (الحيض). While Al-Ḥayḍ refers generally to the biological act of menstruating, Al-Maḥīḍ is a multi-dimensional noun that simultaneously encompasses the state of menstruation, its timeframe, and its physical locus (the specific site of the bleeding).
Therefore, by defining it as adhā (harm) and restricting contact “during Al-Maḥīḍ,” the Qur'an textually isolates the site of the blood, rather than the woman herself. This entails only a temporary avoidance—specifically, refraining from vaginal intercourse—not an inherent physical impurity of her essence.
Consequently, it is entirely permissible to shake hands with a menstruating woman, touch her, and come into contact with her sweat and clothing. She is free to mingle with people, cook, attend gatherings, and recite adhkār (remembrances). The acts prohibited to her during her period are strictly: prayer, fasting, ṭawāf (circumambulation of the Kaʿbah), and intercourse. These are purely devotional rulings (taʿabbudī) connected to a temporary state of ritual impurity (ḥadath), not to any physical impurity or corruption of her body.
This is precisely why the Prophet ﷺ said to ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her), when she hesitated to touch something out of fear that she was menstruating: “Indeed, your menstruation is not in your hand.” (Narrated by Muslim).
The Foundational Hadith: "The Believer Does Not Become Impure"
The foundational hadith upon which this ruling is built is the hadith of Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, when the Prophet ﷺ met him on a road while he (Abū Hurayrah) was in a state of major ritual impurity (janābah). He slipped away to perform the prescribed ritual bath (ghusl). The Prophet ﷺ then asked him about his absence, and he informed him that he had been in a state of major impurity and disliked to sit with him without being in a state of purity. The Prophet ﷺ then said to him this saying:
"Glory be to Allah! Indeed the believer does not become impure (lā yanjus)" (agreed upon).
The Prophet ﷺ thereby determined explicitly that the believer's very self (his body) is not to be described with impurity at all, whether he is in a state of major impurity or menstruating; rather, what requires "removal" is merely the effect of the ritual state (the traces of semen, menstrual blood, and postpartum blood), and prescribed ritual bath (ghusl) here is a devotional act performed to lift the ritual state, not to purify from bodily "filth."
The clearest practical evidence that the menstruating woman is not impure is that the Prophet ﷺ treated his wives during menstruation in a manner that fully corresponds with what he later established when he said, "The believer does not become impure."
Here are the most notable authentic hadiths on this subject:
1. The Comprehensive Prophetic Principle: "Do everything except intercourse"
On the authority of Anas ibn Mālik, may Allah be pleased with him: that the Jews, when a woman among them menstruated, would expel her from the house, would not eat with her, and would not have intercourse with her in the house (a strictness that corresponds to what is stated in Leviticus). So the Companions asked the Prophet ﷺ about that, and Allah revealed: {They ask you about menstruation (al-maḥīḍ)…} (Al-Baqarah: 222). So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"Do everything except intercourse" (narrated by Muslim).
This hadith is an explicit text that all forms of contact are permissible, except intercourse itself—in contrast to what has been described of the Jews' complete isolation of the menstruating woman from the house, the food, and the bed.
2. Direct Bodily Intimacy (Mubāsharah): Kissing, Embracing, and Touching the Body Above the Waist-Wrap
On the authority of ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to command me, so I would wrap a cloth [around my lower body] while menstruating, and then he would engage in direct bodily intimacy (mubāsharah) with me.” (Agreed upon).
This indicates that he ﷺ would touch her body, embrace her, and kiss her while she was menstruating, provided she wrapped herself—covering only the localized site of the bleeding. By juristic consensus, this permission encompasses the entire body except for the physical site of intercourse.
3. Reclining in Her Lap and Reciting the Qur'an While She Was Menstruating
On the authority of ʿĀʾishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:
"The Prophet ﷺ used to recline in my lap and recite the Qur'an while I was menstruating" (narrated by al-Bukhārī).
This entirely refutes the notion that the menstruating woman makes impure whatever she touches, let alone that she would be prevented from mere closeness to a sacred Book or from the worship taking place around her.
4. Drinking from the Same Vessel and from the Same Spot Her Mouth Touched
On the authority of ʿĀʾishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:
"I used to drink while menstruating, then I would hand [the vessel] to the Prophet ﷺ, and he would place his mouth where my mouth had been and drink; and I would gnaw the meat off a bone while menstruating, and I would hand it to the Prophet ﷺ, and he would place his mouth where my mouth had been" (narrated by Muslim).
This is among the most precise pieces of evidence, because it establishes that the trace of her mouth (her saliva) on the vessel or the bone is not considered an impurity to be avoided—rather, he would deliberately place his mouth on that very same spot.
5. Combing/Styling the Hair
On the authority of ʿĀʾishah, may Allah be pleased with her:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to comb/style my hair while I was menstruating" (agreed upon).
6. Physical Intimacy Above the Waist-Wrap: An Explicit Juristic Ruling
Based on these prophetic traditions (hadiths), the jurists—despite slight variations in detail across the legal schools—unanimously agreed upon the following foundational principle:
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Categorically Prohibited: Vaginal intercourse specifically (the physical site of the blood flow).
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Permissible by Consensus: Every other form of physical contact, including touching, kissing, embracing, and enjoyment of the areas above the navel and below the knee. Furthermore, the majority of jurists (the Ḥanafī and Ḥanbalī schools) permit intimacy within the region between the navel and the knee, provided the woman wears a waist-wrap. This stands in contrast to the Shāfiʿī school, which requires a waist-wrap for the entire region between the navel and the knee as a strict legal precaution, without prohibiting the act of intimacy itself.
