Can A Woman Bathe During Her Periods?

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

   What do the scholars of Islam say regarding the following matter: In our rural areas, it is widely held that a woman cannot bathe during her menses. What does Islamic law say regarding this?

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

   The claim that ‘a woman cannot bathe during her menses’, is a misunderstanding amongst laypeople. In reality, there is no harm in bathing to remove bad odour and dirt or to cool down. This is the case even though bathing to attain ritual purity will not be possible until she reaches the correct time for the cessation of her bleeding. There is no harm in her bathing prior to that (cessation of bleeding) for the purpose of keeping clean. That which has been mentioned in the question as being widespread amongst people, has no basis in Islamic law.

   On the contrary, Islamic law encourages a woman to bathe on some specific occasions, even if she is in the state of menses or post-partum bleeding. It is Mustahabb (recommended) to bathe prior to entering the state of iḥrām. If a woman in menses or post-partum bleeding is entering the iḥrām state for ḥajj or ʿumrah, this bathing will be recommended for her too. In fact, the jurists are agreed upon its permissibility.

   During the farewell ḥajj, the wife of Hazrat Abū Bakr Ṣiddīq, Sayyidatuna Asmāˈ b. ꜤUmays, gave birth to Sayyiduna Muhammad b. Abi Bakr. This occurred at Dhū al-Ḥulayfah.

   As the mīqāt of the people of Madīnah is Dhū al-Ḥulayfah, the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم ordered her through Abū Bakr Ṣiddīq, to bathe and enter the iḥrām state. If it were forbidden for women in a state of post-partum bleeding or menses to bathe in these days, why would the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم have ordered it?

   It should be remembered that this answer is from an Islamic legal perspective. If bathing is harmful for a particular woman due to a medical reason, she may act according to her doctor’s advice.

   It is permissible to bathe in the state of post-partum bleeding, just as it is narrated by Imam Muslim on the authority of Hadrat ꜤĀisha Ṣiddīqa رضی اللہ عنھا: 

نفست اسماء بنت عميس بمحمد بن ابی بكر بالشجرة فامر رسول اللہ صلى اللہ عليه و سلم ابا بكر يامرها ان تغتسل وتهلّ

   Sayyidatuna Asmāˈ b. ꜤUmays رضی اللہ عنھا gave birth to Muhammad b. Abī Bakr at Shajarah (a place in Dhū al-Ḥulayfah). The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم commanded Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ to convey to her, that she should take a bath and then enter the state of iḥrām.”[1]

   Imam al-Nawawī al-ShāfiꜤi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه comments on this hadith:

وفيه صحة احرام النفساء والحائض واستحباب اغتسالهما للاحرام وهو مجمع على الامر به لكن مذهبنا ومذهب مالك وابی حنيفة والجمهور انه مستحب وقال الحسن واهل الظاهر:هو واجب.[2]

   Imams Abū Dāwūd and Tirmidhi both narrate from the Companion ꜤAbdullāh b. ꜤAbbās  رضی اللہ عنہ, that the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم declared:

واللفظ للترمذی”ان النفساء والحائض تغتسل وتحرم وتقضی المناسك كلها غير انها لا تطوف بالبيت

   Indeed, the woman in post-partum bleeding and menses should bathe, enter iḥrām and complete all ḥajj rites, except that she should not perform circumambulation of the sacred House.[3]

   Regarding bathing for the iḥrām, it is mentioned in Tabyīn al-Ḥaqāiq, Ḥāshiyat al-Sharunbulālī and Minḥat al-Khāliq:

واللفظ للاول”والمراد بهذا الغسل تحصيل النظافة وإزالة الرائحة لا الطهارة حتى تؤمر به الحائض والنفساء۔۔۔ ولا يتصور حصول الطهارة لها

   Below this, in Ḥāshiyat al-Shilbī:[4]

(قوله والمراد بهذا الغسل الخ) قال الاتقانی: وهذا الغسل اعنی غسل الاحرام ليس بواجب ولكنه من باب التنظيف كما فی الجمعة بدلالة اغتسال الحائض والنفساء ملتقطاً

   In Imdād al-Fattāḥ:[5]

وسنن الحج: منھا الاغتسال ولو لحائض ونفساء او الوضوء اذا اراد الاحرام

   In Baḥr al-Rā’iq:[6]

(قوله واذا اردت ان تحرم فتوضا والغسل افضل) قد تقدم دليله في الغسل وهو للنظافة لا للطهارة فيستحب في حق الحائض أو النفساء والصبي

   The Hanafi jurist, Mufti Amjad ꜤAlī al-AꜤẓamī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه said:

When that place (i.e. mīqāt) draws near, use the miswak, perform Wudu and bathe well. If you are unable to bathe, perform Wudu. Even the woman experiencing post-partum bleeding and menses, and the child, should bathe and enter the iḥrām in a state of purity.[7]

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Answered By: Mufti Abu Muhammad Ali Asghar Attari

Ref No: NOR-12342

Date: 12 Muḥarram 1444 AH/ 11 August 2022