Relations During Menstruation

 

Question: Can you please clarify on the husband-wife interactions when the women is experiencing menstruation? i know sexual relations are not allowed but is there any other limits on touching? kissing? etc...

Walaikum assalam,

The scholars concur that it is impermissible (haram) to have intercourse when the wife is in her menses. Imam Nawawi transmitted scholarly consensus (ijma`) regarding this. [al-Mawsu`a al-Fiqhiyya]

This is based on Allah Most High’s saying,

“They question you concerning menstruation. Say: It is harmful, so let women alone at such times, and go not in unto them till they are cleansed. And when they have purified themselves, then go in unto them as Allah has enjoined upon you. Truly Allah loves those who turn unto Him, and loves those who have a care for cleanliness.”[Qur’an, 2: 222]

And Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reports that, “The Jews would avoid eating with menstruating women, so the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) said, ‘Do everything except intercourse.’” [Muslim]

And `A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) reports, “When I was menstruating, the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) would order me to wear a lower garment (izar) and then approach me [in foreplay].”[Bukhari and Muslim]

And Mu`adh ibn Jabal (Allah be pleased with him) reports that he asked the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace), “What is allowed for a man with his wife when she is menstruating?” He said, “Everything above the lower garment (izar).”[Abu Dawud, though there is weakness in the chain of narrators]

The fiqh:

1. It is permitted for both the husband and wife to derive sexual pleasure from each other during menstruation.

2. Intercourse is impermissible.

3. Direct contact between the woman’s navel and knees is impermissible.

4. Indirect contact, such as stimulation through a barrier (such as clothing) is permissible.

5. Direct contact above the navel and below the knees is permissible.

6. It is permitted for the wife to masturbate the husband, as well.

It is stated in the Fatawa al-Hindiyya:

“It is permitted to kiss one’s menstruating wife, to sleep with her, and to enjoy her entire body, except for that which is between navel and knee according to Abu Hanifa and Abu Yusuf, as mentioned in al-Siraj al-Wahhaj.” [al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, 1.39, Bulaq ed.]

Imam Tumurtashi said in his Tanwir al-Absar,

“And [menstruation makes it impermissible to] approach that which is under the lower garment.”

Imam Haskafi explain this in his commentary, Durr al-Mukhtar,

“That is, between navel and knee, even without desire. Everything else is permitted.”

Imam Ibn Abidin said in his supercommentary, Radd al-Muhtar (‘Hashiyat Ibn Abidin’),

“Therefore, it is permitted to enjoy the navel and everything above it, and the knees and everything under it, even without a barrier. It is also permitted to enjoy that which is between the navel and knees with a barrier [f: such as clothing], without actual intercourse, even if blood spreads all over.” [Ibn Abidin on Haskafi on Tumurtashi, Radd al-Muthar `ala al-Durr al-Muhtar Sharh Tanwir al-Absar, 1.194, Bulaq ed.]

 

And Allah alone gives success.

Walaikum assalam,
Faraz Rabbani.

 

- اتَّفَقَ الْفُقَهَاءُ عَلَى حُرْمَةِ وَطْءِ الْحَائِضِ فِي الْفَرَجِ لقوله تعالى : { فَاعْتَزِلُوا النِّسَاءَ فِي الْمَحِيضِ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوهُنَّ حَتَّى يَطْهُرْنَ } .... وَحَكَى النَّوَوِيُّ الْإِجْمَاعَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ

( 131 ) - وَعَنْ أَنَسٍ رضي الله عنه , { أَنَّ الْيَهُودَ كَانَتْ إذَا حَاضَتْ الْمَرْأَةُ فِيهِمْ لَمْ يُؤَاكِلُوهَا , فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم اصْنَعُوا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ إلَّا النِّكَاحَ } . رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ ( 132 ) - وَعَنْ { عَائِشَةَ رضي الله عنها قَالَتْ : كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَأْمُرُنِي فَأَتَّزِرُ , فَيُبَاشِرُنِي وَأَنَا حَائِضٌ } . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ

( 136 ) - وَعَنْ { مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ رضي الله تعالى عنه , أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم : مَا يَحِلُّ لِلرَّجُلِ مِنْ امْرَأَتِهِ , وَهِيَ حَائِضٌ ؟ فَقَالَ : مَا فَوْقَ الْإِزَارِ } . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد وَضَعَّفَهُ .

في الهندية:

( وَمِنْهَا ) حُرْمَةُ الْجِمَاعِ . هَكَذَا فِي النِّهَايَةِ وَالْكِفَايَةِ وَلَهُ أَنْ يُقَبِّلَهَا وَيُضَاجِعَهَا وَيَسْتَمْتِعَ بِجَمِيعِ بَدَنِهَا مَا خَلَا مَا بَيْنَ السُّرَّةِ وَالرُّكْبَةِ عِنْدَ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ وَأَبِي يُوسُفَ . هَكَذَا فِي السِّرَاجِ الْوَهَّاجِ .

في الدر:

 ( وَقُرْبَانُ مَا تَحْتَ إزَارٍ ) يَعْنِي مَا بَيْنَ سُرَّةٍ وَرُكْبَةٍ وَلَوْ بِلَا شَهْوَةٍ , وَحَلَّ مَا عَدَاهُ مُطْلَقًا

قال ابن عابدين في رد المحتار:

 ( قَوْلُهُ وَقُرْبَانُ مَا تَحْتَ إزَارٍ ) مِنْ إضَافَةِ الْمَصْدَرِ إلَى مَفْعُولِهِ , وَالتَّقْدِيرُ : وَيَمْنَعُ الْحَيْضُ قُرْبَانَ زَوْجِهَا مَا تَحْتَ إزَارِهَا كَمَا فِي الْبَحْرِ ( قَوْلُهُ يَعْنِي مَا بَيْنَ سُرَّةٍ وَرُكْبَةٍ ) فَيَجُوزُ الِاسْتِمْتَاعُ بِالسُّرَّةِ وَمَا فَوْقَهَا وَالرُّكْبَةِ وَمَا تَحْتَهَا وَلَوْ بِلَا حَائِلٍ , وَكَذَا بِمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بِحَائِلٍ بِغَيْرِ الْوَطْءِ وَلَوْ تَلَطَّخَ دَمًا

موسوعة:

الِاسْتِمْتَاعُ بِالْحَائِضِ : 42 - اتَّفَقَ الْفُقَهَاءُ عَلَى حُرْمَةِ وَطْءِ الْحَائِضِ فِي الْفَرَجِ لقوله تعالى : { فَاعْتَزِلُوا النِّسَاءَ فِي الْمَحِيضِ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوهُنَّ حَتَّى يَطْهُرْنَ } وَلِقَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم : { اصْنَعُوا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ إلَّا النِّكَاحَ } وَحَكَى النَّوَوِيُّ الْإِجْمَاعَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ , وَاسْتَثْنَى الْحَنَابِلَةُ مَنْ بِهِ شَبَقٌ لَا تَنْدَفِعُ شَهْوَتُهُ بِدُونِ الْوَطْءِ فِي الْفَرْجِ , وَيَخَافُ تَشَقُّقَ أُنْثَيَيْهِ إنْ لَمْ يَطَأْ , وَلَا يَجِدُ غَيْرَ الْحَائِضِ , بِأَنْ لَا يَقْدِرَ عَلَى مَهْرِ امْرَأَةٍ أُخْرَى . وَاخْتَلَفَ الْفُقَهَاءُ فِي الِاسْتِمْتَاعِ بِمَا بَيْنَ السُّرَّةِ وَالرُّكْبَةِ , فَذَهَبَ جُمْهُورُ الْفُقَهَاءِ - الْحَنَفِيَّة وَالْمَالِكِيَّةُ وَالشَّافِعِيَّةُ - إلَى حُرْمَةِ الِاسْتِمْتَاعِ بِمَا بَيْنَ السُّرَّةِ وَالرُّكْبَةِ , لِحَدِيثِ عَائِشَةَ رضي الله عنها قَالَتْ : { كَانَتْ إحْدَانَا إذَا كَانَتْ حَائِضًا فَأَرَادَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ يُبَاشِرَهَا أَمَرَهَا أَنْ تَتَّزِرَ ثُمَّ يُبَاشِرُهَا . قَالَتْ : وَأَيُّكُمْ يَمْلِكُ إرْبَهُ كَمَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَمْلِكُ إرْبَهُ } وَعَنْ مَيْمُونَةَ  رضي الله عنها نَحْوُهُ . وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ { كَانَ يُبَاشِرُ الْمَرْأَةَ مِنْ نِسَائِهِ وَهِيَ حَائِضٌ إذَا كَانَ عَلَيْهَا إزَارٌ } وَلِأَنَّ مَا بَيْنَ السُّرَّةِ وَالرُّكْبَةِ حَرِيمٌ لِلْفَرْجِ , وَمَنْ يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الْحِمَى يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُخَالِطَ الْحِمَى . وَقَدْ أَجَازَ الْحَنَفِيَّةُ وَالشَّافِعِيَّةُ الِاسْتِمْتَاعَ بِمَا بَيْنَ السُّرَّةِ وَالرُّكْبَةِ , مِنْ وَرَاءِ حَائِلٍ . وَمَنَعَهُ الْمَالِكِيَّةُ . كَمَا مَنَعَ الْحَنَفِيَّةُ النَّظَرَ إلَى مَا تَحْتَ الْإِزَارِ , وَصَرَّحَ الْمَالِكِيَّةُ وَالشَّافِعِيَّةُ بِجَوَازِهِ وَلَوْ بِشَهْوَةٍ . وَنَصَّ الْحَنَفِيَّةُ عَلَى عَدَمِ جَوَازِ الِاسْتِمْتَاعِ بِالرُّكْبَةِ لِاسْتِدْلَالِهِمْ بِقَوْلِهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : { مَا دُونَ الْإِزَارِ } وَمَحَلُّهُ الْعَوْرَةُ الَّتِي يَدْخُلُ فِيهَا الرُّكْبَةُ . وَأَجَازَ الْمَالِكِيَّةُ وَالشَّافِعِيَّةُ الِاسْتِمْتَاعَ بِالسُّرَّةِ وَالرُّكْبَةِ . وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ الْحَنَفِيَّةُ وَالشَّافِعِيَّةُ حُكْمَ مُبَاشَرَةِ الْحَائِضِ لِزَوْجِهَا , وَقَرَّرُوا أَنَّهُ يَحْرُمُ عَلَيْهَا مُبَاشَرَتُهَا لَهُ بِشَيْءٍ مِمَّا بَيْنَ سُرَّتِهَا وَرُكْبَتِهَا فِي جَمِيعِ بَدَنِهِ . وَذَهَبَ الْحَنَابِلَةُ إلَى جَوَازِ الِاسْتِمْتَاعِ مِنْ الْحَائِضِ بِمَا دُونَ الْفَرْجِ , فَلَهُ أَنْ يَسْتَمْتِعَ بِمَا بَيْنَ السُّرَّةِ وَالرُّكْبَةِ , وَهَذَا مِنْ مُفْرَدَاتِ الْمَذْهَبِ . وَيُسْتَحَبُّ لَهُ حِينَئِذٍ سِتْرُ الْفَرْجِ عِنْدَ الْمُبَاشَرَةِ , وَلَا يَجِبُ عَلَى الصَّحِيحِ مِنْ الْمَذْهَبِ , قَالَ فِي النُّكَتِ : وَظَاهِرُ كَلَامِ إمَامِنَا وَأَصْحَابِنَا أَنَّهُ لَا فَرْقَ بَيْنَ أَنْ يَأْمَنَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ مُوَاقَعَةَ الْمَحْظُورِ أَوْ يَخَافَ , وَصَوَّبَ الْمِرْدَاوِيُّ أَنَّهُ إذَا لَمْ يَأْمَنْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ حَرُمَ عَلَيْهِ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ طَرِيقًا إلَى مُوَاقَعَةِ الْمَحْظُورِ .

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