Muslim

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said "Subhan Allah!" because she was not understanding even such an obvious and clear matter, and the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), due to modesty and shyness, did not wish to mention the name of the private part.

Chapter of Sahih Bukhari Hadith Number: 7357: «بَابُ الأَحْكَامِ الَّتِي تُعْرَفُ بِالدَّلاَئِلِ، وَكَيْفَ مَعْنَى الدِّلاَلَةِ وَتَفْسِيرِهَا:» Relevance between the Chapter and the Hadith:
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, through this chapter, has indicated towards several important issues. Thus, Abdul Haq al-Hashimi rahimahullah writes:
«هذا الباب متعلق بتعليم طريقة الإجتهاد، و قد تكون معرفة الأحكام من عموم النص، و دلالة النص، و غيرها من أنواع الدلائيل المذكورة فى أصول الفقة.» [لب اللباب فی تراجم والابواب : 244/5]
“This chapter is based on the teaching of the method of ijtihad (independent reasoning) so that the understanding of rulings may be derived from the generality of the text, the indication of the text, and other types of evidences mentioned in the principles of jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh).”

Muhammad Zakariya Kandhlawi rahimahullah writes that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah established this chapter in Kitab al-I‘tisam for this very purpose, and in the same way, he established various types of chapters so that, through these chapters, two necessary matters may be indicated to the scholars of principles: firstly, that the principles of the Shari‘ah are of four types, «الكتاب، و السنة، و الإجماع، و القياس» and the second principle is that «عبارة النص، إشارة النص» and to indicate its implication. Thus, he writes:
«أن الإمام البخاري قد أشار فى ”كتاب الاعتصام“ بتراجم عديدة إلى مسائل الأصول كما ترى، فهكذا أشار لهذه الترجمة إلى أمرين قد نبه عليهما أصحاب الأصول، الأول: ما قالوا ان أصول الشرع أربعة: الكتاب، و السنة، و الاجماع، و القياس، وأشار إلى هذه الأربعة بقوله: التى تعرف بالدلائل . . . . . و الأمر الثاني، هو ما ذكروه من تقسيم الاستدلال من الكتاب و السنة إلى أقسام عديدة معروفة عندهم من عبارة النص، و إشارته و دلالته و اقتضائه، فأشار إلى هذا الأمر الثاني بقوله، و كيف معنى الدلالة.» [الابواب و التراجم: 767/6]
“It becomes clear from this information that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah had several objectives through the chapter, which he resolved through the ahadith under the chapter. But at the same time, it should also be mentioned that Muhammad Zakariya Kandhlawi rahimahullah divided the legal proof (hujjah shar‘iyyah) into four things, which has been mentioned in the previous lines. Three things: the Book, the Sunnah, and consensus (ijma‘), these are definitive proofs, but analogy (qiyas) is not a proof based on the principles of Shari‘ah; rather, we can call it a manifest proof, meaning that the mujtahid in whom there is no (true) religion. Therefore, the relevance between the chapter and the hadith will be from this aspect: the first hadith which is narrated from Aisha radi Allahu anha is relevant to the chapter in that Aisha radi Allahu anha understood through rational indication that ablution (wudu) cannot be performed with a cloth, because the words of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not indicate this issue. Therefore, from the word «توضأ», that woman understood something else, but Umm Aisha radi Allahu anha understood that what was meant by the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was to obtain purity by wiping the cloth over the body.”

Allamah Qastallani rahimahullah writes:
«و مطابقة الحديث للترجمة فى قوله توضئي بها فإنه وقع بيانه للسائلة بما فهمته عائشة رضي الله عنها و أقرها النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم على ذالك لأن السائلة لم تكن تعرف أن تتبع الدم بالفرصة يسمي توضوا فلما فهمت عائشة غرضه بينت للسائلة ما خفي عليها . . . . .» [ارشاد الساري : 109/12]
“The second hadith, which is narrated from Umm Hufayd bint al-Harith ibn Hazn, is relevant to the chapter in that the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum were eating sahnah (a type of food) in the presence of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and it is impossible for anything unlawful to be present on the table of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Therefore, from this hadith, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah gave an example of legal indication (dalalah shar‘iyyah): when sahnah was eaten by others at the table of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, it became known that it is lawful. Thus, this hadith is relevant to that part of the chapter «الأحكام التى تعرف بالدلائل» because the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not prohibit its consumption, and sahnah was placed on the table of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Therefore, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam not prohibiting something is also a proof in legal rulings. Similarly, in the hadith of Sayyidah Aisha radi Allahu anha, she understood and recognized the statement of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, so the relevance of this hadith will also be from this aspect. Thus, from here, the relevance between the chapter and the hadith will be established.” Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullah, shedding light on this issue regarding the practices of the Companions radi Allahu anhum and the people of Madinah after the Rightly Guided Caliphs, comments as follows:
“The practice of the people of Madinah, in the case of muftis, rulers, and markets, was according to the ruling of «محتسبين», and the subjects could not oppose these people. So if the mufti issued a fatwa, the governor would implement it, and the market inspector (muhtasib) would act accordingly. In this way, the fatwa would become the practiced norm. However, this is not worthy of consideration; rather, the actions of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his caliphs, and the Companions radi Allahu anhum are the Sunnah. Therefore, neither of these two things should be confused with the other. Thus, in our view, giving judgment based on this practice is more severe, and if the other thing (the practice of the later people of Madinah) is contrary to the Sunnah, it is most deserving of being abandoned.”

Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan Bhopali rahimahullah, commenting on this issue, writes:
“The practice of the people of Madinah, contrary to Imam Malik rahimahullah and his followers, is not a proof against any authentic hadith, because they too are only a part of the Ummah (i.e., not the whole). Therefore, it is possible that the authentic report did not reach them.” [حصول المامول من علم الاصول : ص 59]
The sum of all this discussion is that the only criterion is the Prophetic Sunnah; any practice contrary to it—whether it be of the people of Madinah, Kufa, Basra, Sham, Yemen, Egypt, Damascus, or, hypothetically, any well-known or unknown scholarly or non-scholarly city—can never be the criterion.

Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah says:
«كيف أترك الخبر لأقوال أقوام لو عامرتهم لما حجتهم بالحديث .» [الاحكام فى اصول الاحكام للامدی : 165/2]
“How can I abandon the report (i.e., the hadith of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) for statements? If I had been among those people, I would have debated with them regarding the proof of the hadith.”
Thus, the only criterion is the Qur’an and Hadith; this is the sum of the discussion.

Hadith Commentary:
The chapter derives from this that Aisha (radi Allahu anha), by the indication of reason, understood that ablution (wudu) cannot be performed with a garment. Therefore, by the word "tawadda’a" (performed ablution), what she meant is that one should attain purification by wiping it over the body.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
Aisha radi Allahu anha, with the intellect and insight granted to her by Allah, understood the intent of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam: that ablution (wudu) is not performed with a piece of cotton, therefore what he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam meant was that she should pass it over her body and attain purification thereby. Thus, in another hadith, this is clarified in these words: the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, out of modesty, turned his face away, so Aisha radi Allahu anha explained to her that she should take a piece of cotton with musk (perfume) applied to it and apply it wherever there are traces of blood, so that the effects of unpleasantness are removed.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Hayd, Hadith: 314)
2.
The woman who asked the question was unaware that applying a perfumed piece of cotton to the traces of blood is referred to as ablution (wudu) when blood and unpleasantness are mentioned together. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, due to modesty, did not state this explicitly, but Lady Aisha radi Allahu anha understood his intent and explained it to her, which the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam affirmed through his silence.
(Fath al-Bari: 13/405)
Such guidance is referred to as rational indication (dalalat ‘aqliyya).
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
The purpose of this chapter heading is to describe the specific manner of the ritual bath (ghusl) for menstruation (hayd), that is, a type of ritual bath which is distinct from all other kinds of ritual baths, because the ritual bath itself is well-known and does not need to be explained.
In another hadith, its details are given in these words: “Every woman among you should take water and lotus leaves (sidr) for the ritual bath (ghusl) and purify herself. She should perform the ritual bath thoroughly, then pour water over her head and rub it well until the water reaches the roots of the hair. Then she should pour water over herself. After finishing, she should take a piece of cotton with musk (kasturi) on it and apply it to the places affected by blood.”
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Taharah, Hadith: 750. ( ))
It should be noted that, according to Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, the ritual bath for major ritual impurity (janabah) and the ritual bath for menstruation (hayd) are not the same; rather, there is a difference between the two.
On this basis, in this chapter heading, the specific manner of the ritual bath for menstruation has been described separately.
In the upcoming chapters as well, he will allude to this difference.
Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi rahimahullah writes in Sharh Tarajim Bukhari that at this point, the question is not about the ritual bath itself, because that was already well-known and understood; the question is only about the specific manner of the ritual bath for menstruation.

➋
Some scholars have read it as “ghasl” (with a fatha on the ghayn), but this is not correct because this has already been mentioned under chapter number (9), hadith ( ).
However, it can be explained that in the previous chapter, the discussion was about washing clothes stained with menstrual blood, and in this chapter, the mention is of washing blood from the body, as is evident from the wording of the hadiths.
It is also possible that at this point, “mahid” is a verbal noun (masdar mimi) in the sense of a place noun (ism makan), meaning the place of menstruation (i.e., the private part) and the discussion is about washing it.
At this point, as usual, let us also listen to the opinion of Allamah Ayni rahimahullah, who says that this chapter heading is not particularly beneficial, because this matter has already been mentioned before, and the narration is also the same as was brought in the previous chapter heading, though there is a difference in the method of narration.
(‘Umdat al-Qari: 3/140)

➌
Some commentators have read (misk) as (mask), which means leather, or a piece of goat or sheep skin with wool on it.
By rubbing it on the place affected by blood, the impurity and odor of the blood would be removed.
These scholars say that mask is an expensive item, and apparently it was not so abundant that it would be used on such occasions, but this assumption of theirs is not correct.
Firstly, the human body is not like rusted iron that it would need to be scrubbed with sandpaper to be cleaned; how could such a layer of blood accumulate on it, especially since after relieving oneself, purification (istinja) is performed from time to time.
Every woman takes care of cleanliness during these days.
Secondly, neither can ritual impurity (janabah) be removed with wool, nor does it remove odor.
Thirdly, musk (kasturi) was not a rare item among the Arabs; rather, it was available in abundance and its use was common.
Fourthly, it is not necessary for every woman to obtain it; rather, whoever is able to obtain it may use it, otherwise another fragrance can also be used.
The purpose is to refresh the skin and remove the bad odor, and that can be achieved with any fragrance.

➍
In this hadith, the word (tawadda’i) is intended in its literal meaning, because in the language it means “to brighten” or “to cleanse.”
The purpose of the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) statement was to instruct her to purify herself.
In some narrations, it is mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) covered his face.
(Sunan al-Nasa’i, Kitab al-Taharah, Hadith: 252)
This was due to modesty.
And Allah knows best.

Explanation:
The manner of this ritual bath (ghusl) is described in the narration of Muslim as follows: Attain purity thoroughly, then pour water over your head so that the water reaches the roots of the hair, then pour water over the entire body. Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, by alluding to this narration, has indicated that although neither rubbing of the body nor the manner of the ritual bath is mentioned here, the taking of a piece of perfume is mentioned. Saying "Subhan Allah" at a moment of amazement is also established from this. Speaking about matters of modesty with women through hints and indirect expressions, women asking men about religious matters—these several points are established from this, «قاله الحافظ»

Hadith Authentication (Takhrij al-Hadith):
[189۔ البخاري فى : 6 كتاب الحيض : 13 باب دلك المرأة نفسها إذا تطهرت من المحيض 314، مسلم 332]

Lexical Explanation:
«فِرْصَةً مِنْ مِسْك»: A piece of cotton to which musk fragrance has been applied.
«فَاجْتَبَذْتُهَا»: I pulled it.
«اَثَرَ الدَّم»: Mark of blood.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has mentioned four things in this chapter heading:
➊ Rubbing the body thoroughly while performing the ritual bath (ghusl) after menstruation (hayd).
➋ The method of performing the ritual bath.
➌ Taking help from a piece of cotton with musk applied to it.
➍ Removing the traces of blood.
Whereas, the first two matters are not mentioned in the hadith itself.
Regarding this, Allamah Kirmani rahimahullah states that the fourth matter, i.e., removing the traces of blood, establishes the act of rubbing (dalk), and by “the manner of the ritual bath,” what is meant is not the method of the bath itself, but rather the specific characteristic of the ritual bath after menstruation, which is the use of fragrance.
(Sharh al-Kirmani: 3/180)
However, Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah says that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, as per his usual practice, has mentioned in the chapter heading something that is found in other narrations of the hadith, and since those narrations did not meet Imam Bukhari’s conditions, he did not mention them, but rather alluded to them in the chapter heading.
Thus, in the narrations of Sahih Muslim, these matters are explicitly mentioned.
(Sahih Muslim, al-Hayd, Hadith: 750(332))
Also, in this narration, there is mention of intense rubbing (dalk shadid).
2.
In another narration of Sahih Muslim, Aisha radi Allahu anha praised the women of the Ansar, saying:
“These women are extremely intelligent and understanding, for modesty does not prevent them from gaining understanding in religion.”
(Sahih Muslim, al-Hayd, Hadith: 752(332))
In another narration of Sahih Muslim, it is explicitly stated that the questioner was Asma bint Shakal.
(Sahih Muslim, al-Hayd, Hadith: 750(332))
3.
Some scholars have said that what is meant in the hadith is a simple piece of cotton, not one with musk applied to it, because musk was not available in such quantity that it could be used on such occasions. However, this is not correct, because in Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaq (1/315), the words “min dharirah” are mentioned, which is a well-known type of fragrance. Furthermore, the claim about its availability is also not correct, because among the people of Hijaz, the use of fragrance was common.
It should be noted that Asma radi Allahu anha was hesitant because musk is not a liquid substance with which purification is usually done, so she asked again and again.
Upon this, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said “Subhan Allah,” meaning that women should have a good understanding of their own matters.
Thus, Aisha radi Allahu anha called her over and explained it to her.
In Sunan al-Darimi (Hadith 773), it is mentioned that the explanation of Aisha radi Allahu anha was being heard by the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself, and he did not object.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/539)
4.
From this hadith, it is understood that the ritual bath after menstruation is not merely pouring water and finishing, but rather the body should be thoroughly rubbed, and wherever there are traces of blood, a fragrant substance should be used. Musk has the property of removing the contraction of the skin and restoring its freshness.
Its second benefit is that after its use, if any stain of blood is seen, it will be assumed to be the color of musk, not blood.
Thus, this is a good way to dispel doubts (waswas). Its third benefit is that after the completion of menstruation, the use of musk on that part of the body helps in the adhesion of sperm (luqūh al-nutfah).
During these days, a woman is generally capable of receiving sperm, and the use of fragrance further assists in this.
And Allah knows best.
5.
The following rulings are derived from this hadith:
➊ Matters that cannot be explicitly stated should be conveyed through hints and allusions.
➋ A woman may refer to the scholars of the Shari‘ah regarding her private matters that cannot be concealed.
➌ Repetition in answering is a good thing for the purpose of explanation.
➍ In the presence of a scholar, another person present in the gathering may explain to the questioner, provided the scholar approves.
➎ One should deal gently with the student, especially considering the excusability of those who are ignorant or slow-witted.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/539)

427. Commentary: The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had explained to her the complete manner of performing the ritual bath (ghusl), as is explicitly mentioned in other narrations. See: [صحیح البخاری ، الحیض ، حدیث314 ، و صحیح مسلم ، الحیض ، حدیث : 332]
Here, the narrator has been concise. He has mentioned only one specific aspect of the ritual bath (ghusl) after menstruation, and that is to apply fragrance to the area of menstruation so that any unpleasant odor may be removed. See also, hadith: 252 and its benefit.

252. Commentary:

➊ Since menstrual (hayd) blood is foul-smelling, it is better that, in addition to performing the ritual bath (ghusl), the area stained with blood be further cleansed, for example: by applying fragrance so that the odor is removed. Acting upon this Sunnah has, for the most part, been abandoned. Women should revive this Sunnah. Certainly, where cleanliness is achieved through it, reward will also be attained.

➋ When discussing private matters related to women, the use of indirect expressions (kinayah) is recommended.

➌ There is no harm in clarifying the words of a scholar for those present.

➍ One should treat those who ask questions about religious matters with gentleness.

➎ The Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was of the highest character and an embodiment of modesty and shyness.

Commentary:
(1)
In the ritual bath (ghusl) after menstruation (hayd), greater attention is paid to cleanliness compared to the ritual bath after major ritual impurity (janabah), because the need for it arises after a relatively longer interval.

(2)
By boiling water with lote tree (sidr) leaves added, the water becomes more purifying.

(3)
The purpose of applying fragrance to the private area is to eliminate unpleasant odor.

(4)
When explaining matters related to sexual issues, one should use allusions and indirect expressions instead of explicit words, so that the ruling is conveyed while modesty and decency are also maintained.

(5)
It is not appropriate to feel shy about acquiring knowledge, because as a result, a person will always remain ignorant and may continue to commit acts contrary to the Shari‘ah.

Benefit:
From this it is understood that when a woman completes her ritual bath (ghusl) after menstruation (hayd), she should use fragrance on the specific area, so that any odor, etc., is completely removed and the husband does not feel any aversion when approaching his wife. It is also understood that matters related to modesty and shame should be expressed with indirect language (kinayah), and there should be at least one female teacher in every village who can teach women the rulings related to modesty and shame. It should be noted that the ruling for menstruation (hayd) and postnatal bleeding (nifas) is the same.