Sunan Abi Dawud

Fatimah daughter of Abu Hubaish narrated to me that she asked Asma' (daughter of Abu Bakr), or Asma' narrated to me that Fatimah daughter of Abu Hubaish asked her to question the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He advised her to refrain (from prayer) equal to the period she refrained previously. She then should wash herself.1 Abu Dawud said: Qatadah narrated it from 'Urwah b. al-Zubair, from Zainab daughter of Umm Salamah, that Umm Habibah daughter of Jahsh had a prolonged flow of blood. The Prophet (ﷺ) commanded her to abandon prayer for the period of her menses. She then should take a bath, and offer prayer. Abu Dawud said: Qatadah did not hear anything from 'Urwah. 2 And Ibn 'Uyainah added in the tradition narrated by al-Zuhri from 'Umrah on the authority of 'Aishah. Umm Habibah had a prolonged flow of blood. She asked the Prophet (ﷺ). He commanded her to abandon prayer during her menstrual period. Abu Dawud said: This is a misunderstanding on the part of Ibn 'Uyainah. This is not found in the tradition reported by the transmitter from al-Zuhri except that mentioned by Suhail b. Abu Salih. Al-Humaidi also narrated this tradition from Ibn 'Uyainah, but he did not mention the words "she should abandon prayer during her menstrual period."1 Qumair daughter of Masruq reported on the authority of 'Aishah: The woman who has prolonged flow of blood should abandon prayer during her menstrual period.3 'Abd al-Rahman b. al-Qasim reported on the authority of his father: The Prophet (ﷺ) commanded her to abandon prayers equal (to the length of time) that she has her (usual) menses.2 Abu Bishr Ja'far b. Abi Wahshiyyah reported on the authority of 'Ikrimah from the Prophet (ﷺ) saying: Umm Habibah daughter of Jahsh had a prolonged flow of blood; and he transmitted like that.1 Sharik narrated from Abu al-Yaqzan from 'Adi b. Thabit from his father on the authority of his grandfather from the Prophet (ﷺ): The woman suffering from a prolonged flow of blood should abandon prayer during her menstrual period ; she then should was herself and pray. 1 Al-'Ala b. al-Musayyab reported from al-Hakam on the authority of Abu Ja'far, saying: Saudah had a prolonged flow of blood. The Prophet (ﷺ) commanded that when he menstruation was finished, she should take bath and pray.1 Sa'id b. Jubair reported from 'Ali and Ibn 'Abbas : A woman suffering from a prolonged flow of blood should refrain from prayers during her menstrual period.1 'Ammar, the freed slave of Banu Hashim and Talq b. Habib narrated in a similar way.1 Similarly, it was reported by Ma'qil al-Khath'ami from 'Ali4, al-Sha'bi also transmitted it in a similar manner from Qumair, the wife of Masruq, on the authority of 'Aishah.1 Abu Dawud said: Al-Hasan, Sa'id b. al-Musayyab, 'Ata, Makhul, Ibrahim, Salim and al-Qasim also hold that a woman suffering from a prolonged flow of blood should abandon prayer during her menstrual period. Abu Dawud said: Qatadah did not hear anything from 'Urwah.

Fatimah daughter of Abu Hubaish came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: I am a woman who has prolonged flow of blood; I am never purified ; should I abandon prayer ? He replied: This is (due to) a vein, and not menstruation. When the menstruation begins, you should abandon prayer ; when it is finished, you should wash away the blood and pray.

When the menstruation begins, you should abandon prayer; when the period equal to its length of time passes, you should wash away the blood and pray.

Bahiyyah said: I heard a woman asking Aisha about the woman whose menses became abnormal and she had an issue of blood. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked me to advise her that she should consider the period during which she used to menstruate every month, when her menstruation was normal. Then she should count the days equal to the length of time (of her normal menses); then she should abandon prayer during those days or equal to that period. She should then take a bath, tie a cloth on her private parts a pray.

Umm Habibah, daughter of Jahsh and sister-in-law of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)m and wife of 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf, had a prolonged flow of blood for seven years. She inquired from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: This is not menstruation, but this (due to) a vein. Therefore, wash yourself and pray. Abu Dawud said: In this tradition which is transmitted by al-Zuhri from 'Urwah and 'Urwah on the authority of 'Aishah, al-Awza'i added: She ('Aishah) said: Umm Habibah daughter of Jahsh and wife of 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf had a prolonged flow of blood for seven years. The Prophet (ﷺ) commander her saying: When the menstruation begins, abandon prayer; when it is finished, take a bath and pray. Abu Dawud said: None of the disciple of al-Zuhri mentioned these words except al-Awza'i, from al-Zuhri it has been narrated by 'Amr b. al-Harith, al-Laith, Yunus, Ibn Abi Dhi'b, Ma'mar, Ibrahim b. Sa'd, Sulaiman b. Kathir, Ibn Ishaq and Sufyan b. 'Uyainah, they did not narrate these words. Abu Dawud said: These are the words of the version reported by Hisham b. 'Urwah from this father on the authority of 'Aishah. Abu Dawud said: In this tradition Ibn 'Uyainah also added the words: He commander her to abandon prayer during her menstrual period. This is a misunderstanding on the part of Ibn 'Uyainah. The version of this tradition narrated by Muhammad b. 'Amr from al-Zuhri has the addition similar to that made by al-Awza'i in his version.

Urwah ibn az-Zubayr reported from Fatimah daughter of AbuHubaysh that her blood kept flowing, so the Prophet (ﷺ) said to her: When the blood of the menses comes, it is black blood which can be recognised; so when that comes, refrain from prayer; but when a different type of blood comes, perform ablution and pray, for it is (due only to) a vein. Abu Dawud said: Ibn al-Muthanna narrates this tradition from his book on the authority of Ibn 'Adi in a similar way. Later on he transmitted it to us from his memory: Muhammad b. 'Amr reported to us from al-Zuhri from 'Urwah on the authority of 'Aishah who said: Fatimah used to have her blood flowing. He then reported the tradition conveying the same meaning. Abu Dawud said: Anas b. Sirin reported from Ibn 'Abbas about the woman who has a prolonged flow of blood. He said: If she sees thick blood, she should not pray; if she finds herself purified even for a moment, she should was an pray. Makhul said: Menses are not hidden from women. Their blood is black and thick. When it (blackness and thickness) goes away and there appears yellowness and liquidness, that is the flow of blood (from vein). She should wash and pray. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by Sa'id b. al-Musayyab through a different chain of narrators, saying: The woman who has a prolonged flow of blood should abandon prayer when the menstruation begins; when it is finished, she should wash and pray. Sumayy and others have also reported it from Sa'id b. al-Musayyab. This version adds: She should refrain (from prayer) during her menstrual period. Hammad b. Salamah has reported it similarly from Yahya b. Sa'id on the authority of Sa'id b. al-Musayyab. Abu Dawud said: Yunus has reported from Al-Hasan: When the bleeding of a menstruating woman extends (beyond the normal period), she should refrain (from prayer), after her menses are over, for one or two days. Now she becomes the woman who has a prolonged flow of blood. Al-Taimi reported from Qatadah: If her menstrual period is prolonged by five days, she should pray. Al-Taimi said: I kept on reducing (the number of days) until I reached two days. He said: If the period extends by two days, they will be counted from the menstrual period. When Ibn Sirin was questioned about it, he said: Women have better knowledge of that.

Hamnah said my menstruation was great in quantity and severe. So I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for a decision and told him. I found him in the house of my sister, Zaynab, daughter of Jahsh. I said: Messenger of Allah, I am a woman who menstruates in great quantity and it is severe, so what do you think about it? It has prevented me from praying and fasting. He said: I suggest that you should use cotton, for it absorbs the blood. She replied: It is too copious for that. He said: Then take a cloth. She replied: It is too copious for that, for my blood keeps flowing. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: I shall give you two commands; whichever of them you follow, that will be sufficient for you without the other, but you know best whether you are strong enough to follow both of them. He added: This is a stroke of the Devil, so observe your menses for six or seven days, Allah alone knows which it should be; then wash. And when you see that you are purified and quite clean, pray during twenty-three or twenty-four days and nights and fast, for that will be enough for you, and do so every month, just as women menstruate and are purified at the time of their menstruation and their purification. But if you are strong enough to delay the noon (Zuhr) prayer and advance the afternoon ('Asr) prayer, to wash, and then combine the noon and the afternoon prayer; to delay the sunset prayer and advance the night prayer, to wash, and then combine the two prayers, do so: and to wash at dawn, do so: and fast if you are able to do so if possible. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Of the two commands this is more to my liking.1 Abu Dawud said: 'Amr b. Thabit narrated from Ibn 'Aqil: Hamnah said: Of the two commands this is the one which is more to my liking.2 In this version these words were not quoted as the statement of the Prophet (ﷺ); it gives it as a statement of Hamnah. Abu Dawud said: 'Amr b. Thabit was a Rafidi. This has been said by Yahya b. Ma'in. Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad (b. Hanbal) say: I am doubtful about the tradition transmitted by Ibn 'Aqil.

Umm Habibah, daughter of Jahsh, sister-in-law of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and wife of 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf, had a flow of blood for seven years. She asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: This is not menstruation but only vein; so you should take a bath and pray. 'Aishah said: She used to take bath in a wash-tub in the apartment of her sister Zainab daughter of Jahsh ; the redness of (her) blood dominated the water.

She would wash herself for every prayer.

"She used to take a bath for every prayer." Abu Dawud said: Al-Qasim b. Mabrur reported from Yunus from Ibn Shihab from 'Amrah from 'Aishah from Umm Habibah daughter of Jahsh. Similarly, it was reported by Ma'mar from al-Zuhri from 'Amrah from 'Aishah. Ma'mar sometimes reported from 'Amrah on the authority of Umm Habibah to the same effect. Similarly, it was reported by Ibrahim b. Sa'd and Ibn 'Uyainah from al-Zuhri from 'Amrah from 'Aishah. Ibn 'Uyainah said in his version: He (al-Zuhri) did not say that the Prophet (ﷺ) commanded her to take bath. It has also been transmitted by al-Awza'i in a similar way. In this version he said: 'Aishah said: She used to take bath for very prayer.

Umm Habibah had a prolonged flow of blood for seven years. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded her to take bath; so she used to take bath for every prayer.

Umm Habibah had a prolonged flow of blood during the time of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He commanded her to take bath for every prayer. The narrator then transmitted the tradition (in full). Abu Dawud said: It has also been narrated by Abu al-Walid al-Tayalisi, but I did not hear him. He reported it from 'Aishah through a different chain of narrators. 'Aishah said: Zainab daughter of Jahsh had a prolonged flow of blood. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to her: Take bath for every prayer. The narrator then reported the tradition (in full). Abu Dawud said: The version transmitted by 'Abd al-Samad from Sulaiman b. Kathir has: "Perform ablution for every prayer." This is a misunderstanding on the part of 'Abd al-Samad. The correct version is the one narrated by Abu al-Walid.

AbuSalamah said: Zaynab daughter of AbuSalamah reported to me that a woman had a copious flow of blood. She was the wife of AbdurRahman ibn Awf. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded her to take a bath at the time of every prayer, and then to pray. He reported to me that Umm Bakr told him that Aisha said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said about a woman who was doubtful of her menstruation after purification that it was a vein or veins. Abu Dawud said: The two commands (of which the Prophet gave option) were as follows in the version reported by Ibn 'Aqil: He said: If you are strong enough, then take a bath for every prayer; otherwise combine the (two prayers), as al-Qasim reported in his version. This statement was also narrated by Sa'id b. Jubair from 'Ali and Ibn 'Abbas.

A woman had a prolonged flow of blood in the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She was commanded to advance the afternoon prayer and delay the noon prayer, and to take a bath for them only once; and to delay the sunset prayer and advance the night prayer and to take a bath only once for them; and to take a bath separately for the dawn prayer. I (Shu'bah) asked AbdurRahman: (Is it) from the Prophet (ﷺ)? I do not report to you anything except from the Prophet (ﷺ).

Sahlah daughter of Suhayl had a prolonged flow of blood. She came to the Prophet (ﷺ). He commanded her to take a bath for every prayer. When it became hard for her, he commanded her to combine the noon and afternoon prayers with one bath and the sunset and night prayer with one bath, and to take a bath (separately) for the dawn prayer. Abu Dawud said: Ibn 'Uyainah reported from 'Abd al-Rahman b. al-Qasim on the authority of his father, saying: A woman had a prolonged flow of blood. She asked the Prophet (ﷺ). He commanded her to the same effect.

I said: Messenger of Allah, Fatimah daughter of Abu Hubaish had a flow of blood for a certain period and did not pray. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Glory be to Allah! This comes from the devil. She should sit in a tub, and when she sees yellowness of the top of the water, she would take a bath once for the Zuhr and 'Asr prayer, and take another bath for the Maghrib and 'Isha prayers, and take a bath once for the fajr prayer, and in between times she would perform ablution. Abu Dawud said: Mujahid reported on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas: When bathing became hard for her, he commanded her to combine the two prayers. Abu Dawud said: Ibrahim reported it from Ibn 'Abbas. This is also the view of Ibrahim al-Nakha'i and 'Abd Allah b. Shaddad.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said about the woman having a prolonged flow of blood: She should abandon prayer during her menstrual period: then she should take a bath and pray. She should perform ablution for every prayer. Abu Dawud said: 'Uthman added: She should keep fast and pray.

Fatimah daughter of AbuHubaysh came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and narrated what happened with her. He said: Then take a bath and then perform ablution for every prayer and pray.

She should take bath, i.e. only once; then she should perform ablution until he next menstrual period.

All the traditions (on this subject) transmitted by 'Adi b. Thabit and A'mash on the authority of Habib and Ayyub al-'Ala, all of them are weak; none of them is sound. This tradition indicates the tradition reported by al-A'mash a a statement of Companion, i.e. 'Aishah. Hafs b. Ghayath has rejected the tradition transmitted by Habib as the statement (of the Prophet). And Asbat also reported it as a statement of 'Aishah. Abu Dawud said: Ibn Dawud has narrated the first part of this tradition as a statement (of the Prophet), and denied that there was any mention of performing ablution for every prayer. The weakness of the tradition reported by Habib is also indicated by the fact that the version transmuted by al-Zuhri from 'Urwah on the authority of 'Aishah says that she used to wash herself for every prayer; (these words occur) in the tradition about the woman who has a flow of blood. This tradition has been reported by Abu al-Yaqzan from 'Adi b. Thabit from his father from 'Ali, and narrated by 'Ammar, the freed salve of Banu Hashim, from Ibn 'Abbas, and transmitted by 'Abd al-Malik b. Maisarah, Bayan, al-Mughirah, Firas, on the authority of al-Sha'bi, from Qumair from 'Aishah, stating: You should perform ablution for every prayer. The version transmitted by Dawud, and 'Asim from al-Sha'bi from Qumair from 'Aishah has the words: She should take bath only once every day. The version reported by Hisham b. 'Urwah from his father has the words: The woman having a flow of blood should perform ablution for every prayer. All these traditions are weak except the tradition reported by Qumair and the tradition reported by 'Ammar, the freed slave of Banu Hashim, and the tradition narrated by Hisham b. 'Urwah on the authority of his father. What is commonly known from Ibn 'Abbas is bathing (for every prayer).