301 — “That is only a vein, not menstruation. So when menstruation comes, leave off the prayer; and when it ends, wash the blood from yourself and then pray (then perform ablution for every prayer until that time comes).”

It was recorded by the two Shaykhs and Abu ʿAwānah in their Ṣaḥīḥ collections, and by the compilers of the four Sunans, Mālik, al-Dārimī, al-Dāraquṭnī, al-Bayhaqī, and Aḥmad, on the authority of ʿĀʾishah, who said:

“Fāṭimah bint Abī Ḥubaysh came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, ‘I am a woman who suffers from non-menstrual bleeding and never becomes pure. Should I stop praying?’ He said ...” Then she mentioned the hadith.

Al-Tirmidhī said: “A good, authentic hadith.” The addition is recorded by him and al-Bukhārī.

The point of evidence in the hadith is his statement: “Wash the blood from yourself.” This is further proof of the impurity of menstrual blood. One of Ibn Ḥazm’s peculiar views is that he held the phrase “the blood” in this hadith to be general, encompassing all blood from humans and animals. Thus, he said in al-Muḥallā (1/102–103):

“This is a general statement from him, peace and blessings be upon him, concerning the category of blood. We do not concern ourselves with the question when his answer stands independently and is not referred back to the question by a pronoun!”

One of the learned scholars refuted him, stating in the margin of a manuscript copy of al-Muḥallā, quoting the printed edition:

“Rather, what is apparent is that he meant menstrual blood; the definite article refers to what has already been mentioned, as indicated by the mention of menstruation and by the context. It is therefore no different from a pronoun’s referring back to its antecedent. Thus, his statement, ‘This is a general statement,’ and so on, is untenable.”

Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir said in his commentary on it:

“This is a clear and sound correction.”