When a woman among them began her menses, they would neither share food with her nor stay with her in the same house. The Companions of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—thereupon asked him about this, and Allah, Mighty and Exalted, revealed: “They ask you about menstruation. Say: It is a discomfort, so keep away from women during menstruation” (al-Baqarah 2:222) to the end of the verse. The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—then said, “Do everything with them except sexual intercourse.”
When the Jews heard of this, they said, “This man will not leave any matter of ours without opposing us in it.” Usayd ibn Ḥuḍayr and ʿAbbād ibn Bishr came and said, “O Messenger of Allah, the Jews are saying such-and-such; should we therefore refrain from having intercourse with them?” The face of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—changed until we thought he was upset with them, so they withdrew.
(1) Ms. B reads: “fihim al-marʾah” (“the woman is among them”).
(2) The phrase “the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him and his family,” is absent from Ms. A.
(3) The printed edition adds: “It ends here,” followed by “to the end of the verse,” contrary to the other manuscripts, as established above.
(4) Qurʾan, Sūrat al-Baqarah, part of verse 222.
(5) The noble Companion Usayd ibn Ḥuḍayr ibn Simāk ibn ʿUbayk al-Anṣārī, al-Ashhalī, was among the first Anṣār to embrace Islam and one of the twelve naqībs at the Night of ʿAqabah. He fought at Uḥud and stood firm; the Prophet paired him with Zayd ibn Ḥārithah and said, “What an excellent man is Usayd ibn Ḥuḍayr.” Abū Bakr held him in high esteem. He died in 20 AH during ʿUmar’s caliphate. See: al-Iṣābah 1/49, no. 285 A.
(6) The noble Companion ʿAbbād ibn Bishr ibn Waqsh ibn Zughbah ibn Zaʿūrāʾ ibn ʿAbd al-Ashhal al-Anṣārī accepted Islam in Madinah before the Hijrah, fought at Badr and all subsequent campaigns, and was sent by the Prophet to collect the alms of Sulaym, Muzaynah and then Banū al-Muṣṭaliq. He fought bravely at al-Yamāmah against Musaylimah until he was martyred there in 12 AH at the age of forty-five. See: Ṭabaqāt Ibn Saʿd 3/440–441.
(7) Ms. B reads: “anna-hu” (“that he”).
(8) wajada: i.e., “he became angry.” See Mukhtār al-Ṣiḥāḥ, root W-J-D, p. 710.