About Menstruation ..,,
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If women are "Unclean" or "Impure" as the verse implies , how can we neglect the other verses using the same terminology in Arabic "" to instruct us on how to perform Salat or read Al-Qur'an ?
Peace Archtitect,
maybe this text can give you an idea why there are people who don't see a menstruating woman as "unclean" or "impure" and thus do not believe in restrictions such as not being allowed to pray, fast, or touch the Qur'an.
Just curious ... why are you researching this issue?
peace
An Unclean State?
Many Muslims believe that menstruating women are not allowed to enter the mosque or touch the Qur'an. This relates to the view of the menstruating woman as unclean. Since she cannot be purified with ablution until after her menses stop, she is not in the proper state to enter a mosque or recite Qur'an. Conflicting hadith exist regarding these habits. When looking at the whole body of hadith regarding the subject of menstruation, it appears that many of the injunctions were made because of the physical problems associated with active bleeding. Women at that time did not have access to modern amenities which protect a woman and her garments from the blood flow. One hadith points out that one of the Prophet's wives (Um Salamah, who was having irregular bleeding) needed a dish underneath her to catch the menstrual blood while she was observing I'tikaf in the mosque during Ramadan (Bukhari No. 306, Sunan Abu Dawud, No. 2470, Muslim, No. 2470). Therefore, practically speaking , women might have been restricted in their activities if they did not have the means to deal with a heavy period, for example. Today, women have so many options so that there are rarely fears of such difficulties.
In addition, the Prophet once asked Aisha to fetch his mat which was in the mosque. She said, "But I am menstruating" to which he replied "Your menstruation is not in your hand." (Sunan Abu Dawud, No. 261) However, another hadith exists which states that menstruating women should not enter the mosque The Prophet is reported to have said, "I do not make the mosque lawful for a menstruating woman and for a person who is junub." (Sunan Abu Dawud, No. 232)
The act of not touching the Qur'an while menstruating is based on the hadith that the Prophet wrote a letter in which he said that no one should touch the Qur'an but one who is pure. (Mishkat-ul-Masabih, No. 465. Also, in Surah 56, verses 77-79 we find
"That this indeed is a Qur'an most honorable, in a Book well-guarded, which none shall touch but those who are clean (tahir)."
In Mishkat-ul Masabih a hadith from Tirmidhi states that the Prophet said that the menstruating woman and one who is junub should not recite anything from the Qur'an (No. 461). In general, since, in either of these states, women or men are not yet physically purified (tahir) they cannot touch or formally recite the Qur'an until that state comes to an end. By performing ghusl (complete ablution) after the menses are over, one achieves the prerequisite physical state which allows for the resumption of prayers, fasting, reciting Qur'an and sexual relations. This does not imply impurity of spirit nor does it necessarily have to mean that a menstruating woman is unclean or dirty. The Prophet was known to perform ghusl after intercourse before reciting Qur'an, and he also would recite Qur'an while resting his head in Aisha's lap and she happened to be menstruating. (Mishkat, No. 460, Muslim, Nos. 260, 591)
The "Deficiency" of Hadith
It is possible to understand why Muslims might view menses as a negative aspect of the female identity. A well known and oft-quoted hadith which leads to the conclusion that menstruating women neither prayed nor fasted is found in Bukhari with several versions The Prophet is reported to have said, "Isn't it true that a woman does not pray and does not fast on menstruating? And that is the defect in her religion (Vol. 3, No. 172, see also Vol. 1, No. 301). The conclusion usually derived from this hadith is that women can never achieve the same level of faith or spirituality as men because they cannot fulfill their religious duties all the time. The weakness in this argument and therefore in the hadith is that it contradicts the undisputed image expressed in the Qur'an of women and men as equal in terms of their duties and expectations as Muslims, servants of God. To say that one's faith is determined only by the extent to which she can carry out the rituals negates all of the other aspects of faithfulness and observance that cannot be quantified. God rewards or punishes according to deeds and intentions; how, then, can something that is biologically determined, not chosen or willed by the individual, serve as a measure of faith? Would God punish women for something that He created? Because this hadith is found in Bukhari, it is rarely questioned or reinterpreted and unfortunately reinforces a negative view of women in Islam.
Therefore, in addition to some of the physical realities that make menstruation unpleasant for some women, a general negative interpretation of Islamic literature may contribute to an overall sense of distaste regarding a normal bodily function which further promotes a negative self-image of women. Indeed, in Yusuf Ali's translation of Surah 2 verse 222, reads as follows "They ask you concerning women's courses. Say They are a hurt and a pollution (azan) ...." The same word "azan" translated by Yusuf Ali as "hurt and pollution" is translated by Muhammad Asad as "a vulnerable condition." To the person reading in English, each translation has an entirely different effect.
http//www.islamawakened.com/Quran/2/222/default.htm
The large volume of hadith regarding menstruation reflects the need for practical guidance on the part of the Muslim community at the time of the Prophet. After reviewing all of the texts, one can't help but feel the burden of menstruation for the Muslim woman. Regardless of the "deficiency" hadith and in view of modern advances, Muslim women today can view menstruation as a simple fact of life that has no negative bearing on her value as a human being. Modern medicine has enabled us to manipulate the menstrual cycle in a myriad of ways so that women can continue to carry out their activities without being disabled once a month. Indeed, many women take advantage of medical technology to avoid menstruating during Hajj which, for many, is truly a once in a lifetime event not to be missed because of bad timing.
from Sex and Sexuality in Islam
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And they ask you about menstruation? Say "It is A-Dh-Y, so retire yourselves (sexually) from the women during the menstruation, and do not approach them until they are Tay-ha-Ra (it). Then when they are Tay-ha-Ra (it), then you may approach them as God has commanded you." God loves the T-W-B (masculine plural) and He loves those who Tay-ha-Ra (masculine plural).
Alif-Dhal-Ya = he was or became annoyed/molested/hurt, experience/suffer what is disagreeable, state of annoyance.
Tay-ha-Ra = to be or become clean/pure or free of dirt, made it or caused it to be distant/remote, cleanse/wash/purify, refrain, remove oneself, to clear/clean, ablution.
Ta-Waw-Ba = To return; repent; turn one's self in a repentant manner (with ila or without it), turn with mercy (with ala), adapt.
*subject pronoun limits application to context, Arabic na.
http//www.studyquran.co.uk/PRLonline.htm
http//quran.uk.net/Corpus.aspx?chapterNumber=2&verseNumber=222#(22221)Notes
Note who/what is referred to using ThR, it is both males and females!
For an analysis of ThR in comparison to ZKW, see here http//www.quranicteachings.co.uk/tazkiya.htmTaken from
http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=14102.msg230201#msg230201 -
http//quran.uk.net/Corpus.aspx?chapterNumber=2&verseNumber=222#(22221)
Thanks! I didn't know this site. Very useful. !
Alif-Dhal-Ya = he was or became annoyed/molested/hurt, experience/suffer what is disagreeable, state of annoyance.
I have looked up the root in my Wehr's dictionary (which basically gives the above meanings), and it seemed quite clear to me that the word has nothing to with pollution in any way. It made me wonder why that translation has become so popular.
confused -
Dude, corpus.quran.com is awesome. It allows anyone, even those who know zero Arabic to conduct high quality study of The Quran, when coupled with Project Root List, and other tools etc. The link has been on www.StudyQuran.org for a while now.
It made me wonder why that translation has become so popular.
Well, what likely happens is the first few commentators are male and give their versions, then almost everyone later gives their version based on the earlier versions, so the chain of just propagates. But luckily for us, past commentators are becoming more and more irrelevant, and more and more disproved, as The Quran opens itself up to us. It is its own best tafsir, as even stated by Ibn Kathir.
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Dude, corpus.quran.com is awesome.
I'm not a dude! muscle
But, yes, you're right, it is great. I wonder why I haven't discovered it so far. )
Well, what likely happens is the first few commentators are male and give their versions, then almost everyone later gives their version based on the earlier versions, so the chain of just propagates.
I also think pre-Islamic, Jewish and other traditions have found their way into those interpretations. And, of course, hadith. I find there is a lot of derogatory stuff about menstruating women in hadith, and also in most texts and fatawa on the issue.
nope
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Leyna, I know you're not a dude, I was using it in the colloquial sense. I can be quite hip you know.
zulu12, i wouldn't expect anything else from a person who disregards "the proof is in the tasting of the pudding" approach
If We had made it a Qur'an in a non-Arabic tongue they would surely have said, "Why is it that its verses have not been made clear? Why - a foreign tongue and an Arab?" Say, "For those who accept it, this is a guidance and healing for a wholesome life. But as for those who will not believe (Arabs or non-Arabs), in their ears is deafness, and so it remains obscure to them. They are like people who are called from afar.
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God also said ..,,
"77. That this is indeed a Qur'an Most Honorable,78. In Book well-guarded, 79. Which none shall touch but those who are clean"
Arabic version " ( (77) (7 (79"Doesn't this mean that women can't pray or touch Al-Qur'an till they're purified i.e. when menstruation is over ?
I am not mocking if this happened to you , I am just curious as why does some articles in this site suggest that women can pray/read Al-Qur'an during their period ?http//www.haqeeqat.org.pk/English%20Tafsir%20e%20Haqeeqat/00.Arabic%20Text/056.%20Al%20Waqeta/56.77a.gif
that indeed this is certainly the Exalted/Guarantor of Life saving/protecting Qur'aan; .
http//www.haqeeqat.org.pk/English%20Tafsir%20e%20Haqeeqat/00.Arabic%20Text/056.%20Al%20Waqeta/56.78a.gif
in the script/a Book that has been made safe and protected.
http//www.haqeeqat.org.pk/English%20Tafsir%20e%20Haqeeqat/00.Arabic%20Text/056.%20Al%20Waqeta/56.79a.gif
People do not physically touch this Book except those who have made themselves in a state of physical purity/having taken bath .Impurity is of two types, physical and psychological. Physical is the one caused by intercourse/ejaculation-orgasm of men or women-deliberate or otherwise, and menstruation.
Particle "La" is negative and NOT prohibitive. So believers do it out of respect and honour; that they do not physically touch the Exalted Qur'aan-a material thing; while they are not physically clean.
Chapter 56
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I followed your links but I am even more confused if that is possible
The quran had been sent in Jawami al-Kalim arabic, not standard arabic, as so I've heard... rotfl You have to know all the meanings used by the root to understand a term. So oh yeah, you will have difficulty especially if you don't know how root is used in all it's grammar forms in all dialects called "arabic".
2 years? Give yourself 20, inshallah you will come to see some depth of the quranic arabic. But get married asap as according to quran 2432.
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God also said ..,,
"77. That this is indeed a Qur'an Most Honorable,78. In Book well-guarded, 79. Which none shall touch but those who are clean"
Arabic version " ( (77) (7 (79"Doesn't this mean that women can't pray or touch Al-Qur'an till they're purified i.e. when menstruation is over ?
I am not mocking if this happened to you , I am just curious as why does some articles in this site suggest that women can pray/read Al-Qur'an during their period ? ???Tay-ha-Ra = to be or become clean/pure or free of dirt, made it or caused it to be distant/remote, cleanse/wash/purify, refrain, remove oneself, to clear/clean, ablution.
We are of dirt.
http//againstscience.com/2008/12/31/science-takes-quran-initiative-to-suggest-man-originated-from-smectite-clay/
I'm sure the links provided explained this already but... The quran, it's iqra... it's recited. It's sound. The effects of the sound of course cannot be changed, neither can the miracle of the quran be changed so that it would still stay a miracle.
This explains the miracle http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfflgF_H0kY
As for quran 56... and purifying yourself... err I caught this suggestion from yahoo answers... well I can't find the exact link, but they say that if you masturbate (well not you of course) while on your menses ... the orgasms help speed up the process.
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Doesn't this mean that women can't pray or touch Al-Qur'an till they're purified i.e. when menstruation is over ?
I am not mocking if this happened to you , I am just curious as why does some articles in this site suggest that women can pray/read Al-Qur'an during their period ? ???If I read straight the Qur'an, without imput from from other sources, the question that arises is from where comes the idea that women cannot pray or fast during menses? This yathurna means clearly the menses are over, and the V form used after menas they, the women are sure the period is over. That is a normal meaning of that verb, it is not an exclusive verb for ritual cleaning. Particularly that when read int he context it makes pefect sense and is in agreement with the whole of the Qur'an, where at several ayas where it could have been made clear that menses are yunub if it were so, it is not mentioned neither for fast nor for salaa, and in 2.222 where it is clearly asked and the answer given, it speaks clearly only about sexual realtions. And when understood as the menses being over and the woman being convinced that they are over then they are free to have relations, but if it is understood as ritual purification, what it amounts to is to say that in order to have sexual intercourse women must make ritual purification which is obviously against everything else.
Salaam
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Leyna, I know you're not a dude, I was using it in the colloquial sense.
I know you know I'm not a dude, I was just being facetious. Ah, the dangers of internet communication ... ;D
I can be quite hip you know.
http//www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/verkleidung/costumed-smiley-031.gif
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-[ well , I intend to marry 2 years from now if Allah wills and I wanted to make sure my doubts concerning Islam are gone forever . This one has been nagging me for a while .
I'm not sure I understand. What exactly are your doubts, why is this issue bothering you? And what does it have to do with getting married? confused
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LOST PAGES FROM SAHIH AL-BUKHARI?S CHAPTER ON MENSTRUATION
By Mohja Kahf
They ask thee concerning menses. Say They are a hurt. So withdraw from women in menses and do not go near to them until they purify. When they purify, go to them as God has commanded you. Verily God loveth the returners and the purifiers. (Quran, al-Baqara 222)
On the authority of Rizvana Bano, narrated by her niece Tamequa Jackson, that her great-grandmother who was a Companion of the Woman Who Loved Her Period, Bibi Moina the Truthteller (MGEH?may God empower her), said
? Behold, my period comes. I start feeling soft and melted and sexy a night or two before, and want to be held tenderly and protectively and made love to mightily, and then I want to be covered gently and left to sleep a bonus sleep that is off the clock, no babies crying no kids homework no dishes no phone calls let my partner take care of everything for a few hours. And that is how I know it is coming, and it feels like an old, familiar friend whose face I love. For behold, I love my period. (She said this latter three times.)
And verily the people said Here comes bint khaltek, your cousin on your mother?s side, Um Kulsoum, that time of the month, Aunt Flow. On the rag. Ya muftra, ya mum, ya shakhakhet dam. Has the moon been sighted yet?
And she said Yes the moon has been sighted; let the festivities begin! I?m driving my red convertible. The queenly egg unwinds her red turban. Roll out the red carpet.
And one said I am not pregnant. What a relief. And the other said I am not pregnant. What a sadness. And the Truthteller said Knowledge that comes with blood, I welcome you. Help me to witness truth for my people.
On the authority of Rasula bint Nabia, one of the many ancient female messengers and prophets of God (MGIHM?may God invent her memory) A river runs through you. It is not unclean nor has it been created to give you pain, but to keep you tender. It is your moisture like tears are the moisture of your eyes. It is permissible to use it to fertilize your daffodil bulbs and rhizomes.
And the seventh layer of commentators added This is what it feels like to have a tradition that includes words of love for women.
On the authority of the Mother of the Believers in the Wholesomeness of Women?s Bodies Equally as with Men?s and not in Instilling Shame for Being a Woman, and on behalf of the Campaign Against Keeping Girls in Ignorance
? Menarche is a time of joyous celebration. Prepare, prepare. Let her know in the years before. Onset, the first menses, a celebration at the threshold. My little girl, you?re becoming a woman now (but it?s okay, you?re still a little girl for a while longer too). You may not find clothes that fit you for a few years?retailers don?t listen to real girls? bodies and makes clothes for this age, neither a little girl anymore nor a woman fully. My brave one, you?re on the cusp. Mother daughter luncheon. Father daughter ballgame. A gift for your milestone day. New rituals. Make ?em up. Old rituals The parents cook up wheat and sugar pudding and serve it all around the neighborhood to celebrate with sweetness their daughter?s first period. The ancient rites of goddess religions honoring our fertility (instead of fearing and covering it) survive through these traces of previous customs, in the chthonically old quarters of Damascus. And in many elsewheres.
And she added If these words seem strange to you, it is because you have become accustomed not to honor and love women.
And the authorities of the Days of Rejection said Here is a list of things you are forbidden to do. Pray. Fast. Make love. Make tawaf. Enter a mosque. With first blood comes first ban.
And She (MGSHQ?May God Strengthen Her Questioning) said Why does God hold me at bay? Now when I feel like prayer most? Why does He reject me? I am in despair.
And the Divine Energy said My Womb-ness prevails over my wrath. God said I am al-Rahman. And, Full of Grace, the Mothers of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad said in unison Rahma comes from Rahm. This is the feminine face of the Divine.
And the People Who Rejected Women for What They Are cried You are not allowed to say that! God is neither he nor she?we say that every day to cover our tracks. But he is really He in our hearts. Jalal rules over jamal with us.
And the Man Who Loved Her But Held Her at Bay said Wrap a garment around your waist. I must not touch you below the waist. It is a harm to you and a harm to me.
The Reliance of the Traveler said ?If a woman claims to have her period but her husband does not believe her, he may have sex with her.? What a good way to inculcate the values of marital rape. Such are the base thoughts of men of the Days of Rejection and such are those, male and female, who revive their values.
Orgasm relieves menstrual cramping. Do not hold her at bay. But if she holds you at bay then do not push against her. Some women cannot abide to be touched during their periods while others need to be touched. Thus spake LaraLustra.
And the masses of people inquired Are you fasting? Why are you not fasting? Are you praying? Do you have an excuse? Are you pure yet? Are you not pure? Are you polluting? Are you impure? Are you impure on Arafat, are you cut off from mercy? Can you finish your Hajj? Are you cut off from prayer? Are you forbidden in the mosque?
Forbidding is the first tendency of Those Who Reject Women, and fear is their favorite feeling ?If a woman fear that a drop of her blood may fall in the mosque, she is forbidden from passing through. She is forbidden, in any case, from remaining in the mosque while menstruating.? ?Reliance of the Traveler again, but only by way of standing in for many other texts that encourage the Forbidding and Fear of Women.
On the other hand we have, on the authority of Hawwa (Eve), mother of Cain and Abel?s sisters Pure (Safa) and Clean (Nadifa) It is unlawful to refer to yourself as impure. No human being is impure. No living creature is impure, not even dogs and swine. All living creatures have souls. (Note of the fourth redactor The Malikis still hold to this Clean Souls Doctrine.) Therefore do not insult the soul placed in them by calling them impure.
And she, may her memory be blessed, added Honey, don?t douche. It is completely unnecessary and disturbs the natural moisture inside. Lo, commercial douches have been invented so large corporations can profit from the fear of women?s pollution. And verily the corporations are the ones polluting the Earth.
And she, may her memory be blessed, pointed out in an aside You can too swim and take baths during your period.
And Our Mother Hava (Eva) also said One last thing before I leave. You may hear ugly stories about me in later times of darkness but do not believe them. I, your grandmother, who loves you even though you are yet unborn except in my hopes, tell you Verily, your period is not a curse but a blessing. It is one of the Signs of God, so learn to read it.
And Hazrat Bint Hawwa remarked, commenting on the words of Our Mother, and explaining in a different way the refraining from namaz during menses You do not need to pray during your period only because your bleeding is prayer. Not because it is pollution?they got it wrong, it is the other way around. It is prayer so powerful that people, if they knew, would come and touch the feet of the menstruating woman. It is the manifestation of the sacred role women are given, no matter if some of them choose to bear children and some not; for even those who do not bear children participate in the monthly rites. Contemplation of this can lead to elevated spiritual states.
And she (MSBGP?may she be given pleasure) said Listen. This is what it sounds like to hear words that love women. Words that need no excuses and explanations. Words that do not make women curl up and die inside.
And those present raised their hands and said Teacher, can I recite Quran when I have my period? Can I touch the Quran? What about a translation of the Quran? Can I pick it up if I am dusting the shelf? Can I recite a whole sura or part of a sura? Can I recite a whole aya or part of an aya? Can I recite a dua if I am in fear? Can I recite kul a?uthu bi rab al-nas if I am in need of it? Must I keep silent?
And the teacher said, these are the questions of women living in shame. These are not the questions of those accustomed to being honored.
And the women who were not in touch with their bodies but in touch with the Set of Rules made by heavy-jowled men asked, How will I know if my period is over? And they used to send Aisha pieces of cloth from their underwear with yellow streaks to ask her scientific opinion (so says Muwatta Malik). For Aisha was a lore-learned woman. And they used to light lanterns in the desert night to check their underwear (Muwatta Malik). She Who Knew Her Own Body said, If they but knew! Lanterns and literalism. It?s over when your body tells you it?s over. Learn to read your own signs.
And Rabia al-Milwaukeeya said My open root chakra helps me to perform my work at a deeper level. Yes of course I can still do math on the rag. Maududi claims I cannot count change or think straight during menses (in Purdah and the Status of Woman in Islam). May God reincarnate him as a tampon for spreading such half-truths and disrespecting women?s bodies and minds. I can do rocket science or keep planes from crashing into each other or grade papers or judge court cases if it is my job. Our cycles do not cause incompetence in the work world; it?s the other way around The rigid work world needs to become more fluid, better geared toward human cycles, male and female, before it destroys the Earth and its Rivers.
And LaDawna al-Muslimah Bint Barbara al-Chicagoweeya said This intensity makes me impatient. Give me space to be this vulnerable or I will bite your head off. My vulnerability is part of who I am. I am learning to wield my blessings gracefully. This is a gift I will share with you, if your arms are open.
And in another narration al-Chicagoweeya said I need room to feel this way, so back off. Come not near to me. But don?t go too far, and bring leafy greens back from the grocery when you come back because my body craves to restock its nutrients. Verily, I love the Patient Returners.
And at the end of it all, the Truthteller (MSBSWDA?May She Be Showered with Divine Attributes) said I ache. From my inner labia to my nipples to that place I can?t reach in the middle of my back between the shoulder blades. A massage there would be nice now. Hurts hurt more and loves love more. I embrace this productive pain and the insights given me when I look on the world from within it. If I feel like crying, I cry. For all that is going down in the world, for the unfulfilled promises that are dissolving and bleeding out as I sit here. For all the men and boys gunned down whose bleeding goes unheeded. For women and girls raped and knifed and battered and silenced about it, for children growing thinner, beaten down, their futures trammeled. For those under occupation, and those whose souls are occupied by evil, and those in prisons of another?s making, and those in prisons of their own making.
My blood joins the river of human blood that has been shed and I am one with them. This is my purification Let the rancor bleed out of my heart.
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My blood joins the river of human blood that has been shed and I am one with them. This is my purification Let the rancor bleed out of my heart.
Damn.
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I must admit I only read it because of the word rancor thinking it might be star wars related. Hopes dashed and I feel odd.
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http//organicmuslimah.blogspot.com/2010/05/oh-lord-save-us.html
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http//img443.imageshack.us/img443/9130/4603058040f4b707c133.jpg
http//organicmuslimah.blogspot.com/2010/05/oh-lord-save-us.html
Poor ladies they will not be allowed to inter paradise also &
