Thus, he may enjoy her above the waist-wrapper and beneath it, though she should wear a waist-wrapper, since the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would instruct Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, to wrap herself in one, and then he would have intimate contact with her while she was menstruating. (1) His instructing her to wear a waist-wrapper was so that he would not see anything he disliked of the traces of blood. If he wishes to enjoy her, for example, between the thighs, there is nothing wrong with that.
If it is asked: How do you answer the Prophet’s statement, peace and blessings be upon him, when he was asked what is lawful for a man with his wife while she is menstruating, and he replied: “You may have what is above the waist-wrapper”? (2) This indicates that enjoyment is restricted to what is above the waist-wrapper.
The answer to this is as follows:
(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari, Book of Menstruation, chapter: “Physical Contact with a Menstruating Wife,” no. 300; and Muslim, Book of Menstruation, chapter: “Physical Contact with a Menstruating Wife above the Izar,” no. 293.
(2) Al-Bayhaqi (1:312) narrated it through Zayd ibn Abi Unaysa, from Abu Ishaq, from Asim ibn Amr, from Umayr, the freedman of Umar, from Umar ibn al-Khattab. This hadith has also been narrated from Asim ibn Amr through other routes; this is the strongest of them. See al-Daraqutni, al-Ilal, no. 216. Al-Busiri said: “Both chains revolve around Asim ibn Amr, who is weak; al-Uqayli mentioned him in al-Duafa.” Al-Bukhari said: “His hadith has not been established.” Abu Hatim al-Razi said: “He is truthful and should be removed from the book of weak narrators,” i.e., al-Bukhari’s work. Ibn Hibban included him in al-Thiqat. Tahdhib al-Kamal, 13:534. Ibn Hajar said in al-Taqrib: “Truthful, though accused of Shiism.” As for Umayr, Ibn Hibban included him in al-Thiqat, while Ibn Hajar graded him as acceptable. Al-Nawawi graded the hadith hasan (sound) in al-Khulasa, no. 602. Ibn Kathir said: “These are corroborating reports that indicate the authenticity of this hadith.” Musnad al-Faruq, 1:128-29. Ibn Hajar said: “This is a hasan hadith.” His al-Amali al-Halabiyya, p. 43.