Natural Realities (Golden Words of Allah Ep102)

“They ask you about menstruation. Say, ‘It is harm, so keep away from women during menstruation and do not approach them until they are pure. And when they have purified themselves, then go to them from where Allah has ordained for you.’ Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:222)

By Abdullahi Yusuf

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All perfect praise be to Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, the Lord of the Worlds. We testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, (pbuh), is His slave and Messenger.

What happens when something completely natural to the human body affects a person’s ability to worship? Does Islam regard the person herself as impure, or does it distinguish between the human being and the ritual state she is experiencing? The Qur’an and Sunnah provide a remarkably precise answer.

Allah says: “They ask you about menstruation. Say, ‘It is harm, so keep away from women during menstruation and do not approach them until they are pure….” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:222)

The Sunnah makes this distinction particularly clear. Aisha (RA) narrated that when she was menstruating, the Prophet (pbuh) continued to interact with her normally. He told her, “Your menstruation is not in your hand.” He would also drink from the same place where she had drunk and recline in her lap while she was menstruating. (Sahih Muslim)

Thus, menstruation does not remove a woman’s dignity, isolate her from her family or make ordinary contact with her forbidden. What changes is a person’s state of ritual purity and the acts of worship connected to it.

The Sunnah also distinguishes between menstruation and abnormal bleeding. Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh asked the Prophet (pbuh) about prolonged bleeding. He explained that it was not menstruation but bleeding from a blood vessel, and instructed her regarding purification and prayer. (Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim)

This distinction is significant. Islam does not treat every instance of blood in the same way. The juristic rulings surrounding menstruation, postpartum bleeding and abnormal bleeding are based on distinctions established in the Qur’an and Sunnah, allowing women to know when prayer and other acts of worship are suspended and when they resume.

The Sunnah also addresses another natural bodily occurrence: sexual discharge.

Umm Sulaym asked the Prophet (pbuh) about a woman who experiences a wet dream. He replied that she should perform ghusl if she sees the discharge. (Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim)

Likewise, Allah says concerning the state of janabah:

“And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:6)

Purification in Islam therefore encompasses different circumstances. Sometimes washing a particular impurity is required; at other times the entire body is purified through ghusl. In situations where water cannot be used, the Qur’an also provides tayammum as an alternative:

“But if you are ill or on a journey or have come from the toilet or have been in contact with women and find no water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:6)

The underlying principle is not humiliation but purification. The human body naturally experiences blood, sweat, sexual discharge and other bodily processes. Islam does not condemn the existence of these things. Instead, it teaches the believer how to maintain cleanliness and return to a state in which worship can be performed.

This is why the distinction between the person and the ritual state is important. A woman experiencing menstruation is not herself regarded as a physically impure person. Rather, menstruation places her in a particular ritual state with specific rulings attached to it.

The Prophet (pbuh) also demonstrated the importance of cleanliness in everyday life. When menstrual blood fell on a garment, he instructed that it be washed and then used for prayer. (Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim)

Allah says:b“Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:222)

The human body has its natural processes, some of which are beyond our control. Islam does not attach shame to what Allah has created; rather, it teaches the believer how to respond to those realities with cleanliness, dignity and obedience.

Purification, therefore, is more than washing the body. It is a reminder that the believer repeatedly returns to Allah, preparing not only the body for worship but also the heart for His presence. What nature brings, revelation gives us a way to navigate; what temporarily interrupts our purity does not diminish our worth before Allah.

And Allah knows best.

SPONSORED

SPONSORED