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I asked ‘Ā’ishah: Why does the menstruating woman make up for her missed fasts but does not make up for the missed prayers?

Agreed upon · Authentic

عَنْ مُعَاذَةَ قَالَتْ: سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ، فَقُلْتُ: مَا بَالُ الْحَائِضِ تَقْضِي الصَّوْمَ، وَلَا تَقْضِي الصَّلَاةَ؟ فَقَالَتْ: أَحَرُورِيَّةٌ أَنْتِ؟ قُلْتُ: لَسْتُ بِحَرُورِيَّةٍ، وَلَكِنِّي أَسْأَلُ. قَالَتْ: كَانَ يُصِيبُنَا ذَلِكَ، فَنُؤْمَرُ بِقَضَاءِ الصَّوْمِ، وَلَا نُؤْمَرُ بِقَضَاءِ الصَّلَاةِ.

“Mu‘ādhah reported: I asked ‘Ā’ishah: Why does the menstruating woman make up for her missed fasts but does not make up for the missed prayers? She said: Are you a Harūriyyah woman? I said: I am not a Harūriyyah woman, but I am just asking. She said: That would happen to us, so we were ordered to make up for the fasts, but were not ordered to make up for the prayers.”

Explanation

Mu‘ādhah al-‘Adawiyyah asked the Mother of the believers, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): Why does the menstruating woman make up for her missed fasts but does not make up for the missed prayers? She answered her: Are you from the Harūriyyah Kharijites, those who ask excessive questions out of obstinacy and extremism? I said: I am not a Harūriyyah woman, but I am just asking. She said: We used to menstruate during the time of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and we were commanded to make up for the missed fasts, but not the missed prayers.

Benefits

• Denouncing everyone who asks questions out of obstinacy and argumentation.
• Al-Harūriyyah is attributed to a town near Kufa called Harūrā’—a sect of the Kharijites. The comparison to them is due to their extremism in religious matters, their excessive questioning, and their obstinate adherence to it.
• The teacher's clarification for those who seek knowledge and guidance.
• Responding with the exact text (of the Qur’an or Hadīth) is preferable, because ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) did not address the specific meaning the questioner asked about; this is because replying with the original text leaves no room for objection.
• Submission to the ruling of Allah and His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), even if the servant does not understand the wisdom behind it.
• An-Nawawi said: The meaning of ‘Ā’ishah's statement is that a group of the Kharijites were making it obligatory for menstruating women to make up for the prayers missed during their menstrual period, which contradicts the consensus of Muslims. This questioning that ‘Ā’ishah engaged in was a questioning of disapproval, meaning: This is the way of the Harūriyyah, and what a bad way it is!

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