222- THEY ASK YOU ABOUT MENSTRUATING WOMEN, SAY: “IT IS HARMFUL (MENSTERUATION) SO KEEP AWAY FROM WOMEN DURING MENSTRUATING, AND DO NOT APPROACH THEM UNTIL THEY ARE CLEANSED.  WHEN THEY HAVE CLEANSED THEMSELVES, APPROACH THEM FROM WHERE ALLAH COMMANDED YOU, FOR ALLAH LOVES THOSE WHO REPENT AND THOSE WHO CLEANSE AND PURIFY THEMSELVES.

223- YOUR WOMEN ARE TILTHE FOR YOU, APPROACH YOUR TELTHE AS YOU DESIRE, AND SEND GOOD DEEDS BEFORE YOUR SOULS,  PROTECT YOURSELVES FROM ALLAH’S DISPLEASURE,  KNOW THAT YOU ARE MEETING HIM, AND GIVE GLADE TIDINGS TO THE BELIEVERS.

Allah the Highest is telling us that menstruation can be harmful in case of sexual intercourse, therefore sexual intercourse between man and wife is forbidden while she is menstruating.

This harm could not have been understood 1400 years ago when the Quran was sent down.  Now we understand that diseases are transmitted by microorganisms, which are carried in the blood.  Some of these diseases are more serious than others, indeed they can be fatal such as AIDS and Hepatitis.  Microorganisms were not known at the time, they were only known just over 100 years ago.  This is:

1-    Another proof of the authenticity of the Quran and that its source is Allah the Highest not human being.

2-    That Allah the Highest does not forbid any thing unless it is harmful to us. 

What is forbidden is sexual intercourse only.  When these Ayahs ware sent down Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Be together with them in your homes, and do every thing except sexual intercourse”.  (D: Taharah; 102 & M: Hyd; 16)

Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him used to share the bed with his wives when they were menstruating.  His wife Om Salama reported: “While I was lying down with Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him under a cover, I started menstruating.  I slipped away and took my cloth for menstruating (she used to wear different cloths while menstruating).  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Are you menstruating?”  I said: “Yes”, then she said: “He called me and I lied down with him under the cover”.  She went on saying that she and Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him used to wash from Janabah (Impurity from sex) from one basin of water”.  (B: Hyd; 4 & M: Hyd; 5 & N: Taharah; 178)

It should be noted that while the woman is menstruating, a man and wife are allowed all kind of contact and affectionate and sexual foreplay short of sexual intercourse and touching the woman’s genitals.  Aysha may Allah be pleased with her reported: “While one of Allah’s messenger’s wives was menstruating, he would tell her to cover her private parts with cloths, then approach her but short of sexual intercourse”.  (B:Hyd;5 & M:Hyd;1 & Mal:Taharah;95 & D:Taharah;106 & N:Taharah;179 & Ma:Taharah;121 & A:6;335-6)

Another Hadith to the same effect was related by Mymonah, Allah’s messenger’s wife.

Aysha may Allah be pleased with her said: “I used to wash Allah’s messenger’s head when I was menstruating” (M: Hyd; 10 & Da: Wadoo; 108 & A: 6; 55)

He even rested his head in his wife’s lap when she was menstruating and recited the Quran.  Aysha may Allah be pleased with her said: “Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him used to rest his head in my lap when I was menstruating and recite the Quran” (B: Hyd; 3 & N: Taharah; 173 & Ma: Taharah; 120 & A: 6; 69,331)

He drunk from the same cup and shared the same food with his wives when menstruating.  Aysha said: “I used to eat the meat off the bone and give it to Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him who would put his mouth on the same place I was eating from.  I used to drink and give the rest to Allah’s messenger who would put his mouth on the same place I drank from; this was while I was menstruating”.  (M: Hyd; 14 & D: Taharah; 102 & N: Taharah; 55)

It is clear that a man and his wife while his wife is menstruating can live normally without any restrictions except sexual intercourse and approaching the woman’s genitals which is forbidden.

Some women develop health problems which make them bleed for a long time, may be two weeks every month or even more.  About those Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Let her work out the number of days and nights she used to menstruate before this happened; she should leave the Salah for those days, then let her wash, cover her private parts with a cloth then perform her Salah” (M: Hyd; 65-66 & D: Taharah; 108 & N: Taharah; 133 & A: 6; 222)

There are many Hadiths to the same effect.  Based on these Hadiths, it is generally agreed between the scholars that if the woman can pray, then she can have sexual intercourse with her husband.  Perhaps at this day and age, condoms can offer further protection if there is still bleeding.

“AND DO NOT APPROACH THEM UNTIL THEY ARE CLEANSED” 

Means that sexual intercourse is to be resumed after the end of the menstruation and the woman bathed and cleansed herself and is able to pray.

Human nature being weak, some might be tempted to have sexual intercourse with his wife while she is menstruating.  There is a ransom for this sin and paying the ransom removes the sin.  When Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him was asked about this, he said: “A dinar if the blood was red, and half a dinar if it was yellow” (Dinar was a gold coin) (T: Taharah; 103)

The man is the one to pay the ransom.

“YOUR WOMEN ARE TILTHE FOR YOU; APPROACH YOUR TELTH AS YOU DESIRE”.

This is a command that men should have intercourse with their wives only through the genital organs, prohibiting anal intercourse.  The analogy of the wife with the tithe, for she is like the fertile land for the man’s seed to grow.  This further enforces that intercourse should be through the genital orifices only.

The Muslims are not restricted in the way a husband and wife may have sexual intercourse, as long as it is through the genitalia.  Two Muslim men asked Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him about this, he said: “Approach her in any way, as long as it is in the Faraj (Sexual organ)” (A: 1; 268 & Da: Wadoo; 113,114)

A woman asked Om Salama, Allah’s messenger’s wife about her husband wanting to approach her for sex from behind (not in her behind), Om Salama told her to wait until Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him arrives.  Om Salama asked him and he said: “YOUR WOMEN ARE TILTHE FOR YOU; APPROACH YOUR TELTH AS YOU DESIRE” then he said to her: “One hole” (A: 6:305,310 & T: Tafseer Sorah 3; 26)

It is a sin to have anal intercourse with one’s wife.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Damned is he who approaches his wife in her behind”.  (A: 2; 444,249 & D: Nekah; 45)

Sending good deeds before our souls: 

Allah the Highest is reminding us always of doing what is good for us.  Good deeds, or bad one, go to the Hereafter and wait there for us before our departure.  The best way to prepare for our Hereafter is to send good deeds ahead of us for this will be our credit and our wealth there.

B: Bukhari   M: Muslim    Mal: Malek   A: Ahmed   D: Abu Dawood     

 Da: Daremy       Ma: Ibn Magah            N: Nesae          T: Termezi