Menstruation is a source. It is said: she menstruated, as you say: he came, and he stayed. Say, 'It is an impurity.' This means that menstruation is something that is considered unclean and causes harm to those who approach it, leading to aversion and dislike for it. So, keep away from women, meaning avoid having relations with them. It has been narrated that the people of ignorance would not eat with a woman when she was menstruating, nor drink with her, nor sit with her on beds, nor live with her in the house, like the actions of the Jews and the Magians. When this verse was revealed, the Muslims took the apparent meaning of keeping away from them and expelled them from their homes. Some of the Bedouins said: 'O Messenger of Allah, the cold is severe and the clothing is scarce. If we give them our clothing, the rest of the household will perish, and if we keep it for ourselves, the menstruating women will perish.' The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: 'You were only commanded to keep away from having relations with them when they are menstruating, and you were not commanded to expel them from the houses like the actions of the non-Arabs.' It is said that the Christians would have relations with them without caring about menstruation, while the Jews would keep away from them in everything. So Allah commanded moderation between the two matters. There is disagreement among the scholars regarding keeping away. Abu Hanifa and Abu Yusuf require keeping away from what is covered by the garment, while Muhammad ibn al-Hasan only requires keeping away from the private parts. Muhammad narrated the hadith of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that Abdullah ibn Umar asked her: 'Can a man have relations with his wife while she is menstruating?' She said: 'Let her tighten her garment around her lower body, then he may have relations with her if he wishes.' This is in Al-Muwatta narrated by Muhammad ibn al-Hasan. It was narrated by Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar sent to Aisha asking her - and he mentioned it. Likewise, it was narrated by the narrators of Al-Muwatta from Malik, Al-Shafi'i, and others. Abdul Razzaq narrated it from Ibn Jurayj from Salman ibn Musa from Nafi similarly. Zaid ibn Aslam narrated that a man asked the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: 'What is permissible for me from my wife while she is menstruating?' He said: 'Let her tighten her garment around her, then you may do as you wish with her upper body.' This was narrated by Malik in Al-Muwatta as an interrupted narration. Al-Tabarani connected it from the narration of Al-Darawardi from Zaid ibn Aslam and Safwan ibn Muslim from Ata ibn Yasar as an interrupted narration. There is a narration from Hizam ibn Hakim from his uncle Abdullah ibn Sa'd that he asked the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him: 'What is permissible for me from my wife while she is menstruating?' He said: 'You may have relations with what is above the garment.' This was narrated by Abu Dawood. And from Muadh ibn Jabal, he said: 'I asked the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, similarly - and he added: 'And abstaining from that is better,' and its chain is weak. Then he said: 'This is the opinion of Abu Hanifa.' There has also come a more lenient ruling from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said: 'Avoid the blood's garment, but you may have relations with what is besides that.' This was narrated by Al-Darami from the narration of Ayoub from a man from Aisha that she said to a person: 'Avoid the blood's garment, but you may have relations with what is besides that.' And it was recited (yatuhhirna) with emphasis, meaning they purify themselves, as indicated by His saying: 'So when they have purified themselves.' Abdullah recited:

Until they purify themselves. And they purify themselves with the lightening. And purification is washing. And purity is the cessation of menstrual blood. Both readings are to be acted upon. Abu Hanifa held that a man may approach his wife during most of the menstrual period after the blood has ceased, even if she has not washed. In the case of the least of the menstrual period, he should not approach her until she washes or the time for prayer has passed. Al-Shafi'i held that he should not approach her until she is pure and has purified herself, thus combining the two matters, which is a clear opinion. This is supported by His saying: "So when they have purified themselves." From where Allah has commanded you, from the place that Allah has commanded you and made lawful for you, which is the vagina. Indeed, Allah loves those who repent from what they may occasionally commit of what they were forbidden from, and He loves those who purify themselves, who refrain from indecencies. Or indeed, Allah loves the repentant who purify themselves with the purification of repentance from every sin, and He loves those who are purified from all filth: like sexual intercourse with a menstruating woman and the pure before washing, and engaging in what is not permissible, and others. "Your women are a tilth for you." This is a metaphor, likening them to fields due to what is placed in their wombs from the sperm from which offspring come, similar to seeds. And His saying: "So approach your tilth however you wish" is a representation, meaning: approach them as you approach the lands you wish to cultivate from any direction you wish; no direction is prohibited over another. The meaning is: have sexual relations with them from whichever side you turn, provided that the place of intercourse is one, which is the place of cultivation. And His saying: "It is harm, so stay away from women" and "from where Allah has commanded you" and "so approach your tilth however you wish" are among the subtle euphemisms and commendable allusions. These and similar phrases in the words of Allah are good manners that believers should learn and practice and strive to emulate in their discussions and writings. It has been narrated that the Jews used to say: whoever has sexual relations with his wife while she is menstruating from her back in her front, her child will be cross-eyed. This was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, who said: "The Jews have lied." It is agreed upon from various chains from Ibn al-Munkadir from Jabir, and the restriction is only for Muslim. And for Muslim, from the narration of al-Zuhri: "If she is menstruating or not menstruating, but that is from one place." This is from the statement of al-Zuhri. The narrators of the Sunnah, al-Bazzar, and Ibn Hibban have reported it. None of them has the statement: "This was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him." Al-Bazzar narrated it from the path of Khusayf from Ibn al-Munkadir. He added: "And indeed, the tilth is from where the child comes out," which is a unique narration by Khusayf. And he is weak. And it was revealed: "And provide for yourselves what you must provide of good deeds and what is contrary to what you were forbidden. And it was said: it is the seeking of offspring, and it was said: the naming upon intercourse. And fear Allah, so do not transgress the prohibitions, and know that you will meet Him, so prepare provisions that will not bring you disgrace, and give glad tidings to the believers who deserve praise and honor for abandoning the vile and performing good deeds. If you say: what is the position of His saying: "Your women are a tilth for you" in relation to what preceded it? I say: its position is one of clarification and explanation of His saying: "So approach them from where Allah has commanded you," meaning that the place that Allah has commanded you is the place of tilth, as a translation and interpretation, or a removal of ambiguity, and an indication that the original purpose of intercourse is the seeking of offspring, not the fulfillment of desire. So do not approach them except from the place that relates to this purpose. If you say: why did "They ask you" come without a conjunction three times, then with a conjunction three times? I say: their questions about those initial incidents occurred in separate circumstances, so no conjunction was used because each of the questions is an independent question. And they asked about the other incidents at one time, so a conjunction was used for that, as if it were said: they combine for you the question about wine and gambling, and the question about spending, and the question about such and such.