around the House. The ninth is devotional retreat in the mosque. The tenth is the prohibition of prayers other than the five obligatory prayers, including sunnah prayers, other recommended prayers, and voluntary prayers.

The five disputed matters are as follows:

The first is sexual intimacy short of vaginal intercourse. Asbagh, one of our scholars, permitted it. He understood the reported statement of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, “Let her fasten her waist-wrapper around herself; then he may enjoy her upper body,” as a precaution intended to block avenues leading to what is prohibited.

The second is reciting the Quran from memory. Mālik’s statements on this differ.

The third is removing a state of ritual impurity arising from a cause other than menstruation or postnatal bleeding. According to one view, both prevent this. Thus, if a woman enters a state of major ritual impurity and then begins menstruating, she cannot remove the ruling of major ritual impurity by taking a ritual bath so that she may recite the Quran from memory.

Another view holds that the ruling of major ritual impurity ceases to apply during menstruation. She may therefore recite the Quran from memory even without having taken a ritual bath for major ritual impurity. This is the correct view.

A further view holds that neither menstruation nor postnatal bleeding prevents such purification. Thus, if a woman enters a state of major ritual impurity and then begins menstruating, she may remove the major ritual impurity by taking a ritual bath and then recite the Quran from memory, since only her menstrual impurity remains.

There are therefore three opinions concerning a woman who enters a state of major ritual impurity and then begins menstruating. The first is that she may recite the Quran from memory even without taking a ritual bath for major ritual impurity. The second is that she may not recite the Quran from memory even if she takes that bath. The third is that she may not recite the Quran from memory unless she takes that bath.

The fourth disputed matter is the prohibition of intercourse with her once she observes that the bleeding has ceased but before she bathes with water.

The fifth is the prohibition of using water left over after her use. Two differing opinions are reported from ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar concerning this. In one, he said: “There is nothing wrong with water left over after a woman’s use, provided she is neither menstruating nor in a state of major ritual impurity.”

And Allah Most High is the source of success.