The story of the Hajj of our Mother ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her.
Our Mother ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, began her menses at Sarif.
She had been listening to the sermon of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to his Companions.
He was urging them to perform it as an ‘Umrah.
However, she was surprised by the onset of her menses while she was at Sarif, near Makkah.
This meant that she would not be able to perform ‘Umrah.
The time remaining until the Day of ‘Arafah was short, and menses has its own duration.
Thus, our Mother ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, realized she would not be able to perform ‘Umrah.
Even as she heard the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, encouraging his Companions to perform it as an ‘Umrah.
So she wept.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, entered upon her while she was weeping.
He comforted her to learn the reason for her tears.
Our Mother ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, says:
"When we arrived at Sarif, I began my menses."
"The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, entered upon me while I was weeping."
He asked, "What makes you weep, ‘A’ishah?"
I said, "I wish, by Allah, that I had not performed Hajj this year."
He said, "What is the matter with you? Perhaps you have begun your menses?"
I said, "Yes."
He said, "Subhan Allah!"
"For that is something Allah has decreed for the daughters of Adam."
"So, perform what the pilgrim performs,"
"Except that you do not circumambulate the House until you are pure."
A woman in menses, generally speaking, experiences a change in her emotional state during that period.
So how much more so during Hajj?
Especially when she desires to perform the rites with the Muslims.
And she fears falling behind them or delaying those who are with her.
That is why our Mother ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, wept.
And said, "I wish, by Allah, that I had not performed Hajj this year."
This shows the intensity of her distress at the onset of her menses.
Among the beautiful character traits of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
And his kind treatment of his family,
Is that when he saw her weeping,
He inquired about the reason for her tears and comforted her.
He said, "What makes you weep, O you?"
I said, "I heard what you said to your Companions,"
"And I have been prevented from the ‘Umrah."
She explained the reason for her tears:
That she would not be able to perform ‘Umrah.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, asked her,
A second time about the reason for that.
He said, "What is your situation?"
I said, "I am not praying."
She used a euphemism for menses out of modesty.
The effect of this has appeared in the believing women who followed her.
For they all use euphemisms for menses,
Such as being prevented from prayer or similar terms.
This is among the refined forms of indirect speech.
And in this, O noble sisters,
Is the etiquette of using beautiful language with one’s spouse and others,
Especially regarding matters that people find unpleasant to mention.
One benefits from this hadith,
That the beginning of the menstrual cycle
For our Mother ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
During her journey for Hajj,
Was on Saturday, the third of Dhu al-Hijjah.
The consolation of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
To our Mother ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
When she began her menses.
Indeed, the treatment of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Toward his wives, the Mothers of the Believers,
Is the most refined treatment between a husband and his wife.
And everyone who wishes to learn
The art of interaction between spouses,
Must study
The life of our noble Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
With his wives.
For this is the supreme example for spouses.
Among the beautiful examples of interaction
Between the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
And his wife ‘A’ishah,
Is what occurred in this story.
For ‘A’ishah’s weeping when she began her menses
Only occurred due to the distress she felt,
And her sadness over missing the ‘Umrah.
This reason might not be quickly grasped by men,
And a man might not pay much attention to it,
Because he sees menses as a natural matter
That happens to every woman.
And it is indeed so.
But a woman may be in an emotional state
Where she is affected by the onset of menses,
Like a woman waiting for pregnancy after her marriage,
And it is delayed for her,
So she weeps when her menses begins,
Or for any other reason.
Thus, the action of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
With ‘A’ishah
Served as guidance for husbands in the art of dealing
With a woman in such a state.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, did not suffice
With asking her about the reason for her weeping,
Rather, he lightened the matter for her
By explaining that she was not the only one
Who is tested with this menses,
But rather all the daughters of Adam.
He said,
"This is a matter Allah has decreed for the daughters of Adam."
Meaning, He has ordained it for them,
And bound them to it.
So they are worshippers through their patience with it.
"You are only a woman from among the daughters of Adam,"
"Allah has decreed for you what He decreed for them."
So the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, calmed
Her anxiety with two things:
First, that menses is a matter Allah has decreed
For women in general.
And second, that she is like them,
Subject to what they are subject to.
This is a source of comfort and solace for her,
And a relief for her worry.
How a woman in a state of ihram should act
During Hajj if she begins her menses.
After the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, calmed
The anxiety of our Mother ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
He moved to another dimension
In providing her with psychological comfort.
He explained to her that the onset of menses
For a woman in ihram does not harm her,
And does not affect her ihram.
He said,
"It does not harm you."
"You are only a woman from among the daughters of Adam,"
"Allah has decreed for you what He decreed for them."
"So continue in your Hajj,"
"Perhaps Allah will grant it to you."
Then the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, instructed her
On what she should do in this state of hers.
He said,
"Perform what the pilgrim performs,"
"Except that you do not circumambulate the House,"
"Until you have performed ghusl."
The guidance of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
To our Mother ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, indicated
That menses and postpartum bleeding
Do not invalidate the entire Hajj,
Except for what relates to entering the mosque,
Such as circumambulation and the prayer following it.
Our Mother ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said:
"I performed Hajj,"
"And the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, commanded me"
"To perform all the rites,"
"Except for circumambulating the House."
So, O noble sisters,
A woman in ihram for Hajj or ‘Umrah, if she begins her menses,
Is only prevented
From circumambulating the House.
She is not prevented from dhikr, supplication,
Or reciting the Qur'an.
So do not make narrow for yourselves what is broad.
Instilling hope in a woman's spirit.
Among the arts of dealing with a wife
In such embarrassing situations,
Which are painful for a woman,
Is to instill hope in her spirit.
This is taken from the action of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
With our Mother ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
When she began her menses,
As he said to her:
"Continue in your Hajj,"
"Perhaps Allah will grant it to you."
Meaning, grant you the ‘Umrah so you may perform it,
Or grant you the reward of the ‘Umrah,
Even if you do not perform it,
Because actions are by intentions,
And you were only prevented due to a legal excuse.
And it happened that our Mother ‘A’ishah,
May Allah be pleased with her, performed ‘Umrah after the Hajj.
This is a magnificent method,
Through which the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, teaches us
How to deal with one’s wife
When her emotional state changes,
Especially during travel,
As it combines the hardship of travel
With the hardship of the event that has occurred to the woman.