1/112. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 287 — Hamnah bint Jahsh and Severe Bleeding
When The Menstruation Starts She Should Leave The Prayer
Hamnah bint Jahsh Hadith: Severe Istihadah and Prayer
Sunan Abi Dawud : 287
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 287
حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَغَيْرُهُ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَقِيلٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ طَلْحَةَ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ، عِمْرَانَ بْنِ طَلْحَةَ عَنْ أُمِّهِ، حَمْنَةَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ قَالَتْ كُنْتُ أُسْتَحَاضُ حَيْضَةً كَثِيرَةً شَدِيدَةً فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَسْتَفْتِيهِ وَأُخْبِرُهُ فَوَجَدْتُهُ فِي بَيْتِ أُخْتِي زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي امْرَأَةٌ أُسْتَحَاضُ حَيْضَةً كَثِيرَةً شَدِيدَةً فَمَا تَرَى فِيهَا قَدْ مَنَعَتْنِي الصَّلاَةَ وَالصَّوْمَ فَقَالَ " أَنْعَتُ لَكِ الْكُرْسُفَ فَإِنَّهُ يُذْهِبُ الدَّمَ " . قَالَتْ هُوَ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ . قَالَ " فَاتَّخِذِي ثَوْبًا " . فَقَالَتْ هُوَ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ إِنَّمَا أَثُجُّ ثَجًّا . قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " سَآمُرُكِ بِأَمْرَيْنِ أَيَّهُمَا فَعَلْتِ أَجْزَأَ عَنْكِ مِنَ الآخَرِ وَإِنْ قَوِيتِ عَلَيْهِمَا فَأَنْتِ أَعْلَمُ " . فَقَالَ لَهَا " إِنَّمَا هَذِهِ رَكْضَةٌ من رَكَضَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَتَحَيَّضِي سِتَّةَ أَيَّامٍ أَوْ سَبْعَةَ أَيَّامٍ فِي عِلْمِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ اغْتَسِلِي حَتَّى إِذَا رَأَيْتِ أَنَّكِ قَدْ طَهُرْتِ وَاسْتَنْقَأْتِ فَصَلِّي ثَلاَثًا وَعِشْرِينَ لَيْلَةً أَوْ أَرْبَعًا وَعِشْرِينَ لَيْلَةً وَأَيَّامَهَا وَصُومِي فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ يُجْزِئُكِ وَكَذَلِكَ فَافْعَلِي فِي كُلِّ شَهْرٍ كَمَا تَحِيضُ النِّسَاءُ وَكَمَا يَطْهُرْنَ مِيقَاتَ حَيْضِهِنَّ وَطُهْرِهِنَّ وَإِنْ قَوِيتِ عَلَى أَنْ تُؤَخِّرِي الظُّهْرَ وَتُعَجِّلِي الْعَصْرَ فَتَغْتَسِلِينَ وَتَجْمَعِينَ بَيْنَ الصَّلاَتَيْنِ الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ وَتُؤَخِّرِينَ الْمَغْرِبَ وَتُعَجِّلِينَ الْعِشَاءَ ثُمَّ تَغْتَسِلِينَ وَتَجْمَعِينَ بَيْنَ الصَّلاَتَيْنِ فَافْعَلِي وَتَغْتَسِلِينَ مَعَ الْفَجْرِ فَافْعَلِي وَصُومِي إِنْ قَدَرْتِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ " . قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " وَهَذَا أَعْجَبُ الأَمْرَيْنِ إِلَىَّ " .1 قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَرَوَاهُ عَمْرُو بْنُ ثَابِتٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَقِيلٍ قَالَ فَقَالَتْ حَمْنَةُ فَقُلْتُ هَذَا أَعْجَبُ الأَمْرَيْنِ إِلَىَّ .2 لَمْ يَجْعَلْهُ مِنْ قَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم جَعَلَهُ كَلاَمَ حَمْنَةَ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَعَمْرُو بْنُ ثَابِتٍ رَافِضِيٌّ رَجُلُ سَوْءٍ وَلَكِنَّهُ كَانَ صَدُوقًا فِي الْحَدِيثِ وَثَابِتُ بْنُ الْمِقْدَامِ رَجُلٌ ثِقَةٌ وَذَكَرَهُ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ مَعِينٍ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ سَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ يَقُولُ حَدِيثُ ابْنِ عَقِيلٍ فِي نَفْسِي مِنْهُ شَىْءٌ .
Hamnah daughter of Jahsh Narrated from:
Hamnah said my menstruation was great in quantity and severe. So I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for a decision and told him. I found him in the house of my sister, Zaynab, daughter of Jahsh. I said: Messenger of Allah, I am a woman who menstruates in great quantity and it is severe, so what do you think about it? It has prevented me from praying and fasting.He said: I suggest that you should use cotton, for it absorbs the blood. She replied: It is too copious for that. He said: Then take a cloth. She replied: It is too copious for that, for my blood keeps flowing. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: I shall give you two commands; whichever of them you follow, that will be sufficient for you without the other, but you know best whether you are strong enough to follow both of them.He added: This is a stroke of the Devil, so observe your menses for six or seven days, Allah alone knows which it should be; then wash. And when you see that you are purified and quite clean, pray during twenty-three or twenty-four days and nights and fast, for that will be enough for you, and do so every month, just as women menstruate and are purified at the time of their menstruation and their purification.But if you are strong enough to delay the noon (Zuhr) prayer and advance the afternoon ('Asr) prayer, to wash, and then combine the noon and the afternoon prayer; to delay the sunset prayer and advance the night prayer, to wash, and then combine the two prayers, do so: and to wash at dawn, do so: and fast if you are able to do so if possible. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Of the two commands this is more to my liking.1 Abu Dawud said: 'Amr b. Thabit narrated from Ibn 'Aqil: Hamnah said: Of the two commands this is the one which is more to my liking. In this version these words were not quoted as the statement of the Prophet (ﷺ); it gives it as a statement of Hamnah. Abu Dawud said: 'Amr b. Thabit was a Rafidi. This has been said by Yahya b. Ma'in. Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad (b. Hanbal) say: I am doubtful about the tradition transmitted by Ibn 'Aqil.
[1] Meaning, you only need to do one of the two matters.Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 287In-book reference : Book 1, Hadith 287English translation : Book 1, Hadith 287
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 287
This hadith describes Hamnah daughter of Jahsh, who had severe and heavy bleeding. She came to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم because the bleeding had kept her from prayer and fasting. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم first suggested cotton, then a cloth, but she explained that the bleeding was too much. He then gave her guidance: she should treat six or seven days as menses, according to what Allah knows, then wash. When she sees that she is clean, she should pray and fast for the remaining days of the month. The narration also mentions another option involving bathing and combining certain prayers if she is strong enough. This is a detailed istihadah hadith about hardship, prayer, fasting, and practical ease.
What we learn from this hadith
- Hamnah asked for guidance when severe bleeding affected worship.
- The hadith mentions practical means like cotton and cloth for heavy bleeding.
- Six or seven days are mentioned as the menses period in this case.
- Prayer and fasting continue after washing when cleanliness is seen.
