Nasai

395. Commentary: See the benefits and issues of Hadith 293.

293. Commentary:
➊ If menstrual blood gets on clothing, cleaning it is necessary because it is impure. It is also thick, so it should first be scraped off with something sharp, then rubbed and washed with water until no trace of the blood remains. If a stain remains, there is no harm.
➋ The mention of lotus leaves (sidr) with water is for additional cleanliness; otherwise, water alone is sufficient. Nowadays, soap may be used so that even the stain is removed or lessened.

363. Commentary:
Menstrual blood is impure (najis); it should be cleaned thoroughly so that not even the slightest trace remains. Washing with plain water is also sufficient, but water mixed with lotus (sidr) leaves is for additional cleanliness, just as nowadays soap or soda is used for this purpose. There is no harm if a stain remains on the garment.

«و حيض»

And menstrual blood (is impure).

Menstrual Blood

➊ It is narrated from Asma bint Abi Bakr radi Allahu anha that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said regarding menstrual blood that gets on a garment:
«تَحُتُّهُ، ثُمَّ تَقْرُصُهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَتَنْضَحُهُ وَتُصَلِّي فِيهِ»
“First scrape it off, then wash it with water, then pour water over it and pray in it.” [بخاري 307] 1

➋ It is narrated from Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu that Khawlah bint Yasar radi Allahu anha said: O Messenger of Allah! I have only one garment and I menstruate in it. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«إِذَا طَهُرْتِ فَاغْسِلِيهِ ثُمَّ صَلِّي فِيهِ»
“When you become pure, wash the place of the blood and pray in it.” She asked: O Messenger of Allah! Even if its trace does not go away? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«يَكْفِيكِ غَسْلُ الدَّمِ وَلَا يَضُرُّكِ أَثَرُهُ»
“Only water will suffice you; its trace will not harm you.” [ابوداود 365] 2

➌ It is narrated from Umm Qais bint Mihsan radi Allahu anha that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«حُكِّيهِ بِضِلْعٍ وَاغْسِلِيهِ بِمَاءٍ وَسِدْرٍ»

“Scrape it off with a crooked stick, then wash it with water and lotus leaves (sidr).” [أبو داود 363] 3

The command in the aforementioned ahadith to wash and scrape menstrual blood is clear evidence of its impurity and filth. [السيل اجرار 45/1]

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1 [بخاري 307، كتاب الحيض : باب غسل دم الحيض، مسلم 291، ابن أبى شيبة 95/1، مؤطا 60/1، ابوداود 360، ترمذي 138، نسائي 155/1، ابن ماجة 629، دارمي 239/1، ابن خزيمة 275، بيهقي 13/1، ابن حبان 1383، أبو عوانة 206/1]

2 [صحيح : إرواء الغليل 190/1، ابوداود 365، كتاب الطهارة : باب المرأة تغسل ثوبها . . .، بيهقي 408/2، أحمد 360/2]

3 [صحيح : صحيح أبو داود 349، أيضا، أبو داود 363، نسائي 154/1، أحمد 355/9، ابن ماجة 628، ابن خزيمة 141/1]

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The Ruling on Blood in General

The evidences for the impurity and filth of all other types of blood besides menstrual blood are not clear and strong; rather, they are inconsistent and weak. Therefore, it is better to return to the original ruling (of purity) unless a clear proof is found. Also, deducing the impurity of blood from this verse:
«قُل لَّا أَجِدُ فِي مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَىٰ طَاعِمٍ يَطْعَمُهُ إِلَّا أَن يَكُونَ مَيْتَةً أَوْ دَمًا مَّسْفُوحًا أَوْ لَحْمَ خِنزِيرٍ فَإِنَّهُ رِجْسٌ أَوْ فِسْقًا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ بِهِ ۚ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ» ‎ [6-الأنعام:145]
is not correct, because in this verse it is not clarified whether the word «رجس» refers only to the flesh of swine or to all other things as well. On the contrary, it is established by sound and strong evidence that all other blood is pure.

➊ The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam descended into a mountain pass and said to his companions radi Allahu anhum: “Who will guard us tonight?” So one man from the Muhajirun and one from the Ansar stood up, and they spent the night at the mouth of the pass. They divided the night between them for guard duty. The Muhajir slept, and the Ansari stood up to pray. Suddenly, a man from the enemy saw the Ansari and shot an arrow at him. The Ansari pulled out the arrow and continued his prayer. Then he shot a second arrow, and the Ansari did the same. Then he shot a third arrow, and the Ansari pulled it out, bowed, prostrated, and completed his prayer. Then he woke his companion. When he saw him in such a (bloody) state, he said: When he first shot you, why did you not wake me? He replied: I was reciting a surah which I did not wish to interrupt. [أبو داود 198] 1

➋ Imam Hasan rahimahullah states:
«مَا زَالَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ يُصَلُّونَ فِي جِرَاحَاتِهِمْ»
“Muslims have always prayed in their wounds.”
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah narrated this in suspended form. [صحيح بخاري قبل الحديث 176]
Whereas Imam Ibn Abi Shaybah rahimahullah narrated it with a sound connected chain. [فتح الباري 281/1]

(al-Albani rahimahullah) This hadith (i.e., the story in which the companion was struck by arrows) [أبو داود 198] is considered marfu‘ in ruling, because it is ordinarily impossible that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was not informed of it. If a large amount of blood invalidated (prayer or ablution), the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would have clarified it, because «تاخير البيان عن وقت الحاجة لا يجوز» “It is not permissible to delay clarification at the time of need,” as is well known in the science of usul. And if, hypothetically, this matter was hidden from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, it could not have been hidden from Allah, for nothing in the heavens and earth is hidden from Him. Therefore, if blood invalidated (prayer or ablution) or was impure, Allah would have revealed it to His Prophet, as is clear and not hidden from anyone. Imam Bukhari rahimahullah also holds this view, as his narration of some of the aforementioned athar in suspended form is evidence for this. [تمام المنة ص /52]

(Ibn Hazm rahimahullah) also holds this view. [المحلي 255/1]

From a jurisprudential perspective, equating menstrual blood with other types of blood is clearly mistaken for two reasons:

➊ There is no evidence for this in the Book or the Sunnah, and the original ruling is freedom from obligation unless there is a text.

➋ It is contrary to the Sunnah, as the aforementioned hadith of the Ansari companion (regarding human blood) has been mentioned. In addition, regarding animal blood, it is narrated in a sound hadith from Ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu that he slaughtered a camel, and its blood and the dung of its intestines got on him. Meanwhile, the prayer was established, and he prayed without performing ablution. [ابن أبى شيبة 392/1] 2

(Shawkani rahimahullah) It is not correct to make an analogy between menstrual blood and other blood, nor is there any explicit evidence for the impurity of other blood. [السيل الجرار 40/1]

(Siddiq Hasan Khan rahimahullah) The evidences for the impurity of all other blood are varied and inconsistent. [الروضة الندية 82/1]

The jurists have differed on this issue.

SA (Qurtubi rahimahullah) There is consensus among the scholars on the impurity of blood. [تفسير قرطبي 221/2] EA
In response, Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah writes that this is questionable, as the hadith of Ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu has just been quoted. [التعليقات الرضية على الروضة الندية 110/1]

SA (Hanafi school) Blood is impure like urine and wine. If more than a dirham’s amount gets on the garment, prayer is not valid in it, but if it is a dirham or less, the prayer is valid, because such a small amount is impossible to avoid. [عمدة القاري 903/1] EA
They have deduced this from narrations attributed to Ali radi Allahu anhu and Ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu, but those are weak. [تحفة الأحوذي 447/1]

(Ahmad rahimahullah, Ishaq rahimahullah) Even if more than a dirham’s amount of blood gets on the garment, the prayer does not need to be repeated (because it is not impure), as the aforementioned ahadith testify. [تحفة الأحوذي 447/1]

(The preferred view) The position of Imam Ahmad rahimahullah is preferred, because the aforementioned explicit evidences require it.

1 [صحيح، صحيح أبو داود 193، كتاب الطهارة : باب الوضوء من الدم، أبو داود 198، احمد 343/3، دارقطني 322/1، ابن خزيمة 36، حاكم 1571، بيهقي 140/1]

2 [صحيح : تمام المنه ص /52، عبد الرزاق 125/1، ابن أبى شيبة 392/1، طبراني كبير 284/9، الجعديات للبغوي 887/2]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Commentary:
(1)
From this it is understood that menstrual blood is impure (najis) and it is necessary to wash it.

(2)
If berry (sidr) leaves are boiled in water, cleaning can be done more effectively with that water. For giving the ritual bath (ghusl) to the deceased, water is also prepared in this manner.

(3)
Sometimes, pouring water alone does not remove the blood; in such a case, one should try to clean the cloth thoroughly by rubbing it. After that, if a slight trace remains, it is excused.

(4)
"Dhila" refers to a rib. Here, it means a long and thin piece of wood resembling a rib.