The story of the Hajj of our Mother ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her.
The weeping of our Mother ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, before the Day of ‘Arafah.
When the Day of Tarwiyah arrived, the people entered into the state of ihram for Hajj.
They set out toward Mina.
Our Mother ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, waited throughout the duration of her menses.
Hoping that she might become pure before the Day of ‘Arafah.
However, she did not become pure, so she wept a second time.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, entered upon her while she was weeping.
She complained to him about her situation.
Our Mother ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, says:
"The Day of ‘Arafah overtook me while I was menstruating, and I had not yet completed my ‘Umrah."
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, entered upon me while I was weeping.
He asked, "What makes you weep?" I replied, "I wish I had not set out this year."
I complained of that to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
He said, "Leave your ‘Umrah, undo your hair, comb it, and enter into the state of ihram for Hajj."
"And do what the Muslims do in their Hajj."
She did so. Jabir Ibn ‘Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with them both, said:
"Then we entered into the state of ihram on the Day of Tarwiyah."
Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, entered upon ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her.
He found her weeping.
He asked, "What is the matter with you?"
She said, "The matter is that I have begun menstruating."
"The people have completed their rites, but I have not, and I have not circumambulated the House."
"And the people are going to Hajj now."
He said, "This is a matter that Allah has decreed for the daughters of Adam."
"So perform ghusl, then enter into the state of ihram for Hajj."
She did so and stood at the stations [of Hajj].
Once she became pure, she performed Tawaf around the Ka‘bah and Sa‘i between Safa and Marwah.
This second weeping was different from the first.
The first weeping was due to the onset of her menses before performing the ‘Umrah.
The second weeping was due to the commencement of Hajj while she was not yet pure.
In this, there is a reminder for husbands and the guardians of women.
That they should be mindful of a woman’s psychological state if she menstruates during Hajj or otherwise.
And that they should strive to resolve the difficulty she faces due to her menses.
How should one who has not become pure before ‘Arafah act?
Our Mother ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, continued waiting until the night of ‘Arafah.
She did not rush to abandon her ‘Umrah at the beginning of the day of Tarwiyah.
Rather, she waited until time grew short.
Our Mother ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said:
"When the night of ‘Arafah arrived,"
"I said, 'O Messenger of Allah,'"
"'I had entered into the state of ihram for ‘Umrah,'"
"'So what should I do regarding my Hajj?'"
He said:
"Undo your hair and comb it."
"Refrain from the ‘Umrah and enter into the state of ihram for Hajj."
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, commanded her to perform ghusl for ihram.
To enter into the state of ihram for Hajj and to postpone the ‘Umrah.
Meaning, to leave the actions of ‘Umrah—such as Tawaf and Sa‘i—and enter into the state of ihram for Hajj.
What is beautiful in the biography of our Mother ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
Is that as soon as she heard the command from our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
She would hasten to implement it without argument.
Our Mother ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, says:
"I remained menstruating until it was the Day of ‘Arafah."
"And I had only entered into the state of ihram for ‘Umrah."
"The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, commanded me to undo my hair and comb it."
"And to enter into the state of ihram for Hajj and leave the ‘Umrah."
"So I did that."
This is the way of all the Mothers of the Believers.
And the way of the Companions and the female Companions.
That they respond to the command of Allah and the command of His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
They do not evade the performance of the rites, nor do they seek out dispensations.
Rather, their eyes were fixed upon the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
They would watch what he did.
And they would do the same.
In this, there is a reminder for you, my sister pilgrim:
That your motto during Hajj should be:
The statement of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:
"Take your rites from me."
Perhaps you will not perform Hajj after this Hajj of yours.
So let this Hajj be your only Hajj.
And let it be the accepted Hajj (Hajj Mabrur).
Do as the pilgrim does.
Except that you do not circumambulate the House until you are pure.
This is the guidance of our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
To our Mother ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
When she menstruated during Hajj.
So the menstruating woman was forbidden from circumambulating the House while in her state of ihram.
But she was not forbidden from witnessing the rest of the sacred sites.
Rather, she was commanded to do as the pilgrim does.
And the acts of Hajj,
Are comprised of dhikr, talbiyah, and supplication.
And the menstruating woman was not forbidden from any of that.
And dhikr includes the recitation of the Qur'an.
Which is among the greatest of the pilgrim's deeds.
So the woman in ihram who is menstruating is not forbidden from reciting the Qur'an.
Nor from the talbiyah, nor from the tahlil.
Nor from supplication, nor from anything else.
Except for circumambulating the House.
So do not deprive yourself, my sister pilgrim, of reciting the Qur'an,
On the pretext that you are menstruating.
Not in Hajj, nor in Ramadan, nor at any other time.
Rather, increase your recitation of the Qur'an and your dhikr.
Seize the virtuous times and days.
And comply with the command of your Lord,
By abstaining from prayer, fasting, and circumambulating the House while menstruating.
A wise action from our Mother Maymunah, may Allah be pleased with her,
On the Day of ‘Arafah.
After the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had prayed,
Dhuhr and ‘Asr.
He headed toward the rocks,
And placed them between himself and the Qiblah.
He stood upon his camel, supplicating for a long time.
This long standing,
Made the people wonder:
Was the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Fasting or not?
So our Mother Maymunah, may Allah be pleased with her, did nothing,
But send him a vessel of milk.
While he was standing at the station.
He drank from it while the people were watching.
By "the vessel" (al-hilab), she meant,
The milk that had been milked,
Or the container in which the milk is placed.
This action,
Occurred from her and from her sister, Umm al-Fadl bint al-Harith.
As she herself narrated,
That people differed in her presence on the Day of ‘Arafah,
Regarding the fasting of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Some of them said,
"He is fasting."
And some of them said,
"He is not fasting."
So she sent him a cup of milk,
While he was standing on his camel.
He drank.
And perhaps it was a single incident,
That occurred in the presence of both of them.
In this action,
Is evidence of their sagacity,
In discovering the legal ruling,
Through this gentle means,
Which was appropriate for the situation.
Because that was on a hot day,
After midday.
The reason for the people’s disagreement regarding the fasting of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Or his breaking of the fast on the Day of ‘Arafah,
Was the knowledge they already possessed,
Which they had learned from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Regarding the virtue of fasting on the Day of ‘Arafah,
And that it expiates for two years.
So they doubted,
Does this apply to the pilgrim,
As well, or not?
The cause of this doubt,
Was that they did not see the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Eating or drinking from after the Dhuhr prayer,
Until the middle of the ‘Asr prayer.
So our Mother Maymunah settled the doubt,
And arrived at the ruling,
In a gentle way.
She sent him the milk in the cup.
When he drank it,
The people knew that,
He was not fasting.
And so, my sister pilgrim,
You can elicit the legal ruling,
And end the debate circulating in Hajj,
Or elsewhere, in a beautiful way.
You convey the legal ruling to those around you,
And instill tranquility in their hearts,
Without provoking their resentment.
A sincere woman will never be at a loss,
For a way to convey the truth to people.
It might be a question directed to a scholar,
Or a book that is distributed,
Or other such means.