Hadith regarding the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam touching Aisha while she was menstruating

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Hadith regarding the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam touching Aisha while she was menstruating

 

The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha, “Come close to me, uncover your thighs.”

She replied: “I am menstruating!”

 

This hadith is narrated by Abu Dawood and al Bayhaqi with the same chain. ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Ziyad al Afriqi — from ‘Umarah ibn Ghurab, who narrated:

 

حدثنا عبد الله بن مسلمة حدثنا عبد الله يعني ابن عمر بن غانم عن عبد الرحمن يعني ابن زياد عن عمارة بن غراب أن عمة له حدثته أنها سألت عائشة قالت إحدانا تحيض وليس لها ولزوجها إلا فراش واحد قالت أخبرك بما صنع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم دخل ليلا وأنا حائض فمضى إلى مسجده قال أبو داود تعني مسجد بيته فلم ينصرف حتى غلبتني عيني وأوجعه البرد فقال ادني مني فقلت إني حائض فقال ‏وإن اكشفي عن فخذيك فكشفت فخذى فوضع خده وصدره على فخذى وحنيت عليه حتى دفئ ونام ‏

 

My paternal aunt had asked Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha, “What if one of us menstruates and she and her husband have no bed except one?”

Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha replied, “I will relate to you what the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam had done. One night he entered (upon me) while I was menstruating. He went to the place of his prayer (Abu Dawood explained that this refers to the place of prayer reserved for this purpose in his house). He did not return until I fell fast asleep, and he felt pain from cold.”

He said, “Come near me.”

I said, “I am menstruating.”

He said, “Uncover your thighs.”

I, therefore, uncovered both of my thighs. Then he put his cheek and chest on my thighs and I lent upon him until he became warm and slept.[1]

 

This hadith is weak according to al Albani in Da’if al Jami’ [2]and in the Da’if al Adab al Mufrad[3]. ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Ziyad al Afriqi is Majhul (unknown).

 

‘Abdul Rahman ibn Ziyad al Afriqi

• Al Bukhari mentions in al Du’afa’ al Saghir, “In the ahadith of ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Ziyad are some munkar (contradictory) ahadith.”[4]
• Abu Zur’ah mentions in his book, Su’alat al Bardha’i, “‘Abdul Rahman ibn Ziyad is not very strong in narration.” [5]
• Al Tirmidhi remarks in Sunan al Tirmidhi[6], “He is da’if in hadith according to the scholars of hadith, such as Yahya al Qattan and Ahmed ibn Hanbal.” [7]
• In al Du’afa’ wa al Matrukin of Ibn al Jawzi, “Al Tirmidhi grades him as its laysa bi shay’( he accounts to nothing in hadith).”[8]
• Al Bazzar states in Kashf al Astar, “He narrates manakir (contradictory) reports.” [9]
• Al Nasa’i regards him as da’if in al Du’afa’ wa al Matrukin.[10]
• Al Darqutni notes, “He is da’if and his hadith cannot be used as proof.” [11] He also grades him as weak in his book al ‘ilal.

 

‘Umarah ibn Ghurab al Yahsubi, who also appears in this narration, is Majhul (unknown).

 

‘Umarah ibn Ghurab al Yahsubi

• Ibn Hajar mentions in Taqrib al Tahdhib, “‘Umarah ibn Ghurab is a Tabi’i who is majhul (unknown); whoever considers him a Sahabi is mistaken.”[12]

 

His aunt is also considered majhulah.

 

• Al Mundhiri deemed this hadith da’if in Mukhtasar Sunan Abi Dawood.[13]
• Al Dhahabi notes in al Muhaddhab fi Ikhtisar al Sunan al Kubra, “Its chain is wahi (very weak).”[14]
• Al Albani grades it as weak in Da’if Sunan Abi Dawood.[15]

 

Even if this hadith were regarded as authentic, no intelligent person of sound disposition would consider it reprehensible. Quite the opposite is the state of the Shia narrations ascribed to al Baqir and al Sadiq that the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would not sleep until he kissed the face of Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anha and prayed for her. In another narration they state, “Until he kissed her cheeks or between her breasts.” And yet another narration states, “Until he placed his face between her breasts.” We seek Allah’s protection from such blasphemy.

This is reported in Manaqib Al Abi Talib[16] of Ibn Shahar Ashub, Majma’ al Nurayn[17] by al Marandi, Kashf al Ghummah[18] by al Arbili, Bihar al Anwar[19] by al Majlisi and al Lum’at al Bayda’[20] by al Tabrizi. In fact, al Tabrizi reports it in the following manner:

 

The dazzling perfume and pure fragrance of paradise comes from between the breasts of Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anha, and the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would put his face between her breasts day and night, taking delight from its scent.

 

Would an individual with a pure disposition accept that the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would do something like this with his young daughter? When the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was the most pure, modest, and more bashful than any person on the face of the earth.

It would not be far-fetched that Ibn Shahar Ashub, al Majlisi, al Marandi, al Arbili, and al Tabrizi are all in fact Nawasib, posing as Shia, for having the audacity of placing such things in their book that would vilify Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anha and her father salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

 

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[1] Abu Dawood, Hadith: 270

[2] Da’if al Jami’, p. 260.

[3] Da’if al Adab al Mufrad, p. 30.

[4] Al Du’afa’ al Saghir, p. 307.

[5] Su’alat al Bardha’i, p. 389.

[6] Sunan al Tirmidhi, hadith: 45, 199, 1980,

[7] Sunan al Tirmidhi, hadith: 45, 199, 1980.

[8] Al Du’afa’wa al Matrukin by Ibn al Jawzi, v. 2 p. 204 hadith: 2435; and in Mizan al I’tidal by al Dhahabi, No. 6041; in Tahdhib al Kamal, v. 21 p. 258.

[9] Kashf al Astar 2061.

[10] Al Du’afa’ wa al Matrukin p. 337.

[11] Sunan al Darqutni v. 1 p. 379.

[12] Ibn Hajar: Taqrib al Tahdhib, biography No. 4857.

[13] Mukhtasar Sunan Abi Dawood, v. 1 p. 177.

[14] Al Muhadhab fi Ikhtisar Sunan al Kabir, v. 1 p. 312.

[15] Da’if Sunan Abi Dawood, v. 1 ch. 9 p. 114.

[16] Manaqib Al Abi Talib, v. 3 p. 114.

[17]Majma’ al Nurayn, p. 30.

[18] Kashf al Ghummah, v. 3 p. 95.

[19] Bihar al Anwar, p. 42-43, p. 55, p. 78.

[20] Al Lum’at al Bayda’, p. 235.