How do Islam and the Bible treat women who are having their menses?
In Islam:
Men must not have sexual intercourse with their wives when their wives are having their monthly periods (their menses), because it is a hurt for the woman and a pollution for both the man's and the woman's genitals, which is unhealthy:
"They ask thee concerning women's courses. Say: They are a hurt and a pollution: So keep away from women in their courses, and do not approach them until they are clean. But when they have purified themselves, ye may approach them in any manner, time, or place ordained for you by God. For God loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean. (The Noble Quran, 2:222)"
The explanation of this Noble Verse is in the following Saying (Hadith) of our beloved Prophet:
Thabit narrated it from Anas: "Among the Jews, when a woman menstruated, they did not dine with her, nor did they live with them in their houses; so the Companions of the Apostle (may peace be upon him) asked The Apostle (may peace be upon him), and Allah, the Exalted revealed:" And they ask you about menstruation; say it is a pollution, so keep away from woman during menstruation" to the end (Qur'an, ii. 222). The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Do everything except intercourse. The Jews heard of that and said: This man does not want to leave anything we do without opposing us in it. Usaid b. Hudair and Abbad b. Bishr came and said: Messenger of Allah, the Jews say such and such thing. We should not have, therefore, any contact with them (as the Jews do). The face of the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) underwent such a change that we thought he was angry with them, but when they went out, they happened to receive a gift of milk which was sent to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him). He (the Holy Prophet) called for them and gave them drink, whereby they knew that he was not angry with them. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Menstruation (Kitab Al-Haid), Book 003, Number 0592)"
Please visit Did Prophet Muhammad really recognize the Bible as an error-free book?
Contradictions and proofs of History Corruptions in the Bible.
The Muslim men can still be loving and be near their wives and touch them too when their wives are having their monthly periods:
Narrated 'Aisha: "The Prophet used to recite the Quran with his head in my lap while I used to be in my periods (having menses). (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, ONENESS, UNIQUENESS OF ALLAH (TAWHEED), Volume 9, Book 93, Number 639)"
'Aisha reported: "The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) would recline in my lap when I was menstruating, and recite the Qur'an. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Menstruation (Kitab Al-Haid), Book 003, Number 0591)"
Maimuna (the wife of the Holy Prophet) reported: "The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) contacted and embraced his wives over the waist-wrapper when they were menstruating. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Menstruation (Kitab Al-Haid), Book 003, Number 0579)"
'A'isha reported: "When anyone amongst us (amongst the wives of the Holy Prophet) menstruated, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) asked her to tie a waist-wrapper over her (body) and then embraced her. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Menstruation (Kitab Al-Haid), Book 003, Number 0577)"
Kuraibthe freed slave of Ibn Abbas, reported: "I heard it from Maimuna, the wife of the Apostle of Allah (way peace be upon him): The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to lie with me when I menstruated, and there was a cloth between me and him. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Menstruation (Kitab Al-Haid), Book 003, Number 0580)"
Umm Salama (one of our Prophet's wives) reported: "While
I was lying with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) in a bed cover I
menstruated, so I slipped away and I took up the clothes (which I wore) in menses.
Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Have you menstruated?
I said: Yes. He called me and I lay down. (Translation
of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Menstruation (Kitab Al-Haid), Book 003, Number 0581)"
It is reported from 'A'isha that she observed: "When the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was in I'tikaf, he inclined his head towards me
and I combed his hair, and he did not enter the house but for the natural calls (for
relieving himself). (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The
Book of Menstruation (Kitab Al-Haid), Book 003, Number 0582)"
'A'isha, the wife of the Apostle (may peace he upon him), reported: "The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) put out from the mosque his head for me as he was in I'tikaf, and I washed it in the state that I was menstruating. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Menstruation (Kitab Al-Haid), Book 003, Number 0584)"
Al-Aswad narrated it from 'A'isha that she observed: "I used to wash the head of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), while I was in a state of menstruation. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Menstruation (Kitab Al-Haid), Book 003, Number 0586)"
'A'isha reported: "The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said to me: Get me the mat from the mosque. I said: I am menstruating. Upon this he remarked: Your menstruation is not in your hand. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Menstruation (Kitab Al-Haid), Book 003, Number 0587)"
Abu Huraira reported: "While the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was in the mosque, he said: O 'A'isha, get me that garment. She said: I am menstruating. Upon this he remarked: Your menstruation is not in your hand, and she, therefore, got him that. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Menstruation (Kitab Al-Haid), Book 003, Number 0589)"
'A'isha reported: "I would drink when I was menstruating, then I would hand it (the vessel) to the Apostle (may peace be upon him) and he would put his mouth where mine had been, and drink, and I would eat flesh from a bone when I was menstruating, then hand it over to the Apostle (may peace be upon him) and he would put his mouth where mine had been. Zuhair made no mention of (the Holy Prophet's) drinking. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Menstruation (Kitab Al-Haid), Book 003, Number 0590)"
If Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him recited the Noble Quran while his head was on the lap of any of his wives who was having her monthly period, and he would eat from the same plate any of them ate from while she had her menses, and he would even allow for any of them to bring a mat that belongs to the Mosque (a spiritually purified place) while she was having her menses, then this means that women who have their monthly periods in Islam are not considered filthy and unclean to a point where anything they touch becomes unclean as the Bible clearly states it.
A rebuttal:
Some untruthful members of the Christian "Answering Islam" team tried to suggest that Allah Almighty called women who are having their menses a "pollution" in the Noble Quran. They obviously don't know English grammar. Let's look at the Noble Verse once again:
"They ask thee concerning women's courses. Say: They are a hurt and a pollution.....(The Noble Quran, 2:222)"
Let's look at it from a simpler grammar:
"They ask thee concerning THE COURSES OF WOMEN. Say: THESE COURSES are a hurt and a pollution.....(The Noble Quran, 2:222)"
Where in the Noble Quran do you see Allah Almighty calling women a "pollution"?!
"....So keep away from women in their courses, and do not approach them until they are clean. But when they have purified themselves, ye may approach them in any manner, time, or place ordained for you by God. For God loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean. (The Noble Quran, 2:222)"
Allah Almighty here commands us to stay away from our women who are having their menses SEXUALLY (i.e., having sexual intercourse with them). But we can still be physically around them and act normally with them. This is confirmed in the several above narrations about our beloved Prophet peace be upon him when he used to PHYSICALLY TOUCH his wives while they were having their menses by laying his head on their laps and reciting the Noble Quran.
The following Saying from our beloved Prophet peace be upon him further proves the point and directly explains Noble Verse 2:222 above:
Thabit narrated it from Anas: "Among the Jews, when a woman menstruated, they did not dine with her, nor did they live with them in their houses; so the Companions of the Apostle (may peace be upon him) asked The Apostle (may peace be upon him), and Allah, the Exalted revealed:" And they ask you about menstruation; say it is a pollution, so keep away from woman during menstruation" to the end (Qur'an, ii. 222). The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Do everything except intercourse. The Jews heard of that and said: This man does not want to leave anything we do without opposing us in it. Usaid b. Hudair and Abbad b. Bishr came and said: Messenger of Allah, the Jews say such and such thing. We should not have, therefore, any contact with them (as the Jews do). The face of the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) underwent such a change that we thought he was angry with them, but when they went out, they happened to receive a gift of milk which was sent to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him). He (the Holy Prophet) called for them and gave them drink, whereby they knew that he was not angry with them. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Menstruation (Kitab Al-Haid), Book 003, Number 0592)"
Please visit Did Prophet Muhammad really recognize the Bible as an error-free book?
Contradictions and proofs of History Corruptions in the Bible.
So women in Islam do not pollute or cause anything to be unclean if they touch it while they are having their menses.
The Bible as shown in the section below on the other hand, does consider women unclean and they would cause anything and everything they touch to be unclean.
In the Bible:
"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a MALE child: then she shall be unclean SEVEN DAYS; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying THIRTY THREE days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. But if she bear a FEMALE child, then she shall be unclean TWO WEEKS, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying SIXTY SIX days. (From the NIV Bible, Leviticus 12:2-5)"
"And if a woman have an issue (her period/menses), [and] her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean. And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And if it [be] on [her] bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even. And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean. And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she [shall be] unclean. Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation. And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And the priest shall offer the one [for] a sin offering, and the other [for] a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the LORD for the issue of her uncleanness. (From the King James Version Bible, Leviticus 15:19-30)"
Women become unclean when they are having their menses which is normal, but everything they touch also becomes unclean. The husbands are ordered to stay away from their "unclean" wives until the wives become clean. Even objects like the bed or the chairs or anything else that the "unclean" wives come in contact with become unclean. The Bible treats the women who are having their menses as a disease that men must stay away from.
I still don't understand from a physiological point of view how giving birth to females caused double the pollution than giving birth to males?
Please visit The Bible is corrupt according to the Theologians and Historians of the NIV Bible.
Conclusion:
Islam honors women far more than the Bible in this issue. Islam and the Bible both agree that men must not have sex with their wives who are having their menses. Islam, however, allows for men to be near their wives and to love them and care for them, while the Bible orders it's male followers (Jews and Christians) to stay away from their wives and to not even come near them.
In the Bible, anything the woman touches while having her menses becomes unclean, while this is not the case in Islam, because our Prophet peace be upon him used to recite the Noble Quran with his head on his wife's lap while she was having her menses. The Bible treats the women who are having their menses as a disease that men must stay away from, while the Islam still keeps it's honor and respect to them. The Bible is also corrupted and doubtful according to its Theologians and Historians.
Back to Ask me any question section.
Women in Islam V.S. Christianity.