Sahih Muslim

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took a bath with one Sa' of water and performed ablution with one Mudd (of water) ; and in the hadith narrated by Ibn Hujr the words are: One Mudd sufficed for his (Holy Prophet's) ablution. And Ibn Hujr said that (his Shaikh) Isma'il was much advanced in age, and it was because of this that he could not fully rely on him for this tradition.

The people contended amongst themselves in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with regard to bathing. Some of them said: We wash our heads like this and this. Upon this the Messenger (ﷺ) said: As for me I pour three handfuls of water upon my head.

I pour water over my head thrice.

A delegation of the Thaqif said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): Our land is cold; what about our bathing then? He (the Holy Prophet) said: I pour water thrice over my head. Ibn Salim in his narration reported:" The delegation of the Thaqif said: Messenger of Allah."

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took a bath because of sexual intercourse, he poured three handfuls of water upon his head. Hasan b. Muhammad said to him (the narrator): My hair is thick. Upon this Jabir observed. I said to him: O son of my brother, the hair of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was thicker than your hair and these were more fine (than yours).

I said: Messenger of Allah, I am a woman who has closely plaited hair on my head; should I undo it for taking a bath, because of sexual intercourse? He (the Holy Prophet) said: No, it is enough for you to throw three handfuls of water on your head and then pour water over yourself, and you shall be purified.

This hadith has been narrated by Amr al-Naqid, Yazid b. Harun, 'Abd b. Humaid, Abd al-Razzaq, Thauri, Ayyub b. Musa, with the same chain of transmitters. In hadith narrated by Abd al-Razzaq there is a mention of the menstruation and of the sexual intercourse. The rest of the hadith has been transmitted like that of Ibn 'Uyaina.

" Should I undo the plait and wash it, because of sexual intercourse?" and there is no mention of menstruation.

It was conveyed to 'A'isha that 'Abdullah b. 'Amr ordered the women to undo the (plaits) of hair on their heads. She said: How strange it is for Ibn 'Amr that he orders the women to undo the plaits of their head while taking a bath; why does he not order them to shave their beads? I and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took bath from one vessel. I did no more than this that I poured three handfuls of water over my head.

A woman asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) how to wash herself after menstruation. She mentioned that he taught her how to take bath and then told her to take a piece of cotton with musk and purify herself. She said: How should I purify myself with that? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Praise be to Allah, purify yourself with it, and covered his face, Sufyan b. 'Uyaina gave a demonstration by covering his face (as the Prophet had done). 'A'isha reported: I dragged her to my side for I had understood what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) intended and, therefore, said: Apply this cotton with musk to the trace of blood. Ibn 'Umar in his hadith (has mentioned the words of 'A'isha thus): Apply it to the marks of blood.

A woman asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) how he should wash herself after the menstrual period. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Take a cotton with musk and purity yourself, and the rest of the hadith was narrated like that of Sufyan.

Asma (daughter of Shakal) asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about washing after menstruation. He said: Everyone amongst you should use water (mixed with the leaves of) the lote-tree and cleanse herself well, and then pour water on her head and rub it vigorously till it reaches the roots of the hair. Then she should pour water on it. Afterwards she should take a piece of cotton smeared with musk and cleanse herself with it. Asma' said: How should she cleanse herself with the help of that? Upon this he (the Messenger of Allah) observed: Praise be to Allah, she should cleanse herself. 'A'isha said in a subdued tone that she should apply it to the trace of blood. She (Asma) then further asked about bathing after sexual intercourse. He (the Holy Prophet) said: She should take water and cleanse herself well or complete the ablution and then (pour water) on her head and rub it till it reaches the roots of the hair (of her) head and then pour water on her. 'A'isha said: How good are the women of Ansar (helpers) that their shyness does not prevent them from learning religion.

Cleanse yourself with it, and he covered (his face on account of shyness).

Asma' b. Shakal came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, how one amongst us should take a bath after the menstruation, and the rest of the hadith is the same and there is no mention of bathing because of sexual intercourse.

Fatimah b. Abu Hubaish came to the Apostle (ﷺ) and said: I am a woman whose blood keeps flowing (even after the menstruation period). I am never purified; should I, therefore, abandon prayer? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Not at all, for that is only a vein, and is not a menstruation, so when menstruation comes, abandon prayer, and when it ends wash the blood from yourself and then pray.

" There came Fatimah b. Abu Hubaish, b. 'Abd al-Muttalib b. Asad, and she was a woman amongst us," and in the hadith of Hammid b. Zaid there is an addition of these words:" We abandoned mentioning him."

Umm Habiba b. Jahsh thus asked for a verdict from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): I am a woman whose blood keeps flowing (after the menstrual period). He (the Holy Prophet) said: That is only a vein, so take a bath and offer prayer; and she took a bath at the time of every prayer. Laith b. Sa'd said: Ibn Shihab made no mention that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had ordered her to take a bath at the time of every prayer, but she did it of her own accord. And in the tradition transmitted by Ibn Rumh there is no mention of Umm Habiba (and there is mention of the daughter of Jahsh only.)

Umm Habiba b. Jahsh who was the sister-in-law of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the wife of 'Abd al-Rahman b. Auf, remained mustahada for seven years, and she, therefore, asked for the verdict of Shari'ah from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about it The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: This is not menstruation, but (blood from) a vein: so bathe yourself and offer prayer. 'A'isha said: She took a bath in the wash-tub placed in the apartment of her sister Zainab b. Jahsh, till the redness of the blood came over the water. Ibn Shihab said: I narrated it to Abu Bakr b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. al-Harith b. Hisham about it who observed: May Allah have mercy on Hinda! would that she listened to this verdict. By Lord, she wept for not offering prayer.

Umm Habiba b. Jahsh came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and she had been a mustahada for seven years, and the rest of the hadith was narrated like that of 'Amr b. al-Harith up to the words:" There came the redness of the blood over water." and nothing was narrated beyond it.

I The daughter of jahsh had been mustabida for seven years," and the rest of the hadith is the same (as mentioned above).