The instruction to “stay away” from women during menstruation specifically means not to have sexual intercourse with them, while lesser forms of intimacy—and indeed spending time together as a family—continue to be valid.

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To understand the verse properly, some historical context is worth noting. It is reported that the reason that the Companions asked the Prophet ﷺ about menstruation is that the Arabs of Madinah and its surrounding areas had taken to imitating the Jewish practice of avoiding dining or cohabiting with their wives when they were menstruating. This verse was revealed with the answer.

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Imam Muslim reports on the authority of Anas b. Malik:

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The Jews, when a woman among them would be in menstruation, would neither eat with her nor live with her in their houses. The Companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ asked him about this, so Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He, revealed “And they ask you about menstruation. Say: It is a harmful thing, so, avoid women during menstruation; and do not approach them until they are clean. But when they have cleansed themselves...” until the end of the verse. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said: “Do everything except intercourse.” When the Jews heard this, they said: “This man does not want to leave anything from our affairs except that he opposes us in it!” (Sahih Muslim)

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When the menstruation ends, a woman should take the ritual bath after which sexual intercourse with her husband becomes lawful again.



Does this verse instruct men to treat wives as unclean when on their periods?

The command to stay away from women while they are menstruating is a prohibition of sexual intercourse in particular and does not require abstention from other forms of interaction or physical intimacy.

Imām Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) summarized the scholars' opinions in his book "Zād al-Masīr" as follows:

1. It refers to menstruation itself. Those who supported this opinion argued that it is described as "a source of harm," which is characteristic of menstruation itself, not its location.
2. It refers to the place of menstruation, like "*maqīl*" which means the place of rest during the day, or "*mabīt*" which means the place of spending the night. [Qāḍī Abū Yaʿlā attributed this to Aḥmad]
Supporters of this opinion point out that *al-maḥīḍ* could be a place noun which is then used for the phenomenon itself...They also argued that the harm could be due to impurity or an unpleasant smell, and some mentioned that intercourse with a menstruating woman could lead to a painful ailment.

What is meant by *maḥīḍ* in this āyah?

Imām Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) summarized the scholars' opinions in his book "Zād al-Masīr" as follows:

1. It means "approach them after purification, not during menstruation." [Ibn ʿAbbās, Abū Razīn, Qatādah, al-Suddī, and others]
2. It means "approach them from the place of menstruation, which Allah had commanded you to avoid." [Mujāhid] Those who support this view argue that the phrase "commanded you" here implies "forbade you," as forbidding something is a command to avoid it, and "*min*" (from) has the meaning of "*fī*" (in), similar to the usage in "when the call is made to prayer on Friday" [62:9].
3. It means "approach them through lawful marriage, not through illicit relations." [Ibn al-Ḥanafiyyah]
4. It means "approach them from the permissible ways to engage with a woman, and do not come near them in situations where it is inappropriate, such as when they are fasting, or you are in retreat in the masjid (*iʿtikāf*), or in a state of *iḥrām*." [Al-Zajjāj, Ibn Kaysān]

What is meant by "from where God commanded"?

Imām Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) summarized the scholars' opinions in his book "Zād al-Masīr" as follows:

1. It refers to those who repent from sins in general. [ʿAṭāʾ, Mujāhid]
2. It refers to those who repent from approaching their wives during menstruation.

What is meant by "those who repent" in this āyah?

Imām Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) summarized the scholars' opinions in his book "Zād al-Masīr" as follows:

1. It refers to those who purify themselves from sins. [Mujāhid, Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, Abū al-ʿĀliyah]
2. It refers to those who purify themselves with water. [ʿAṭāʾ]
3. It refers to those who avoid approaching their wives from behind. [Reported from Mujāhid]

Who is "those who keep themselves pure" referring to in this āyah?

Imām Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) summarized the scholars' opinions in his book "Zād al-Masīr" as follows:

Concerning the minimum duration of menstruation, there are the following opinions:

1. The minimum is a day and a night. [Narration from Aḥmad]
2. The minimum is a day. [Another narration from Aḥmad]
3. The minimum is three days. [Abū Ḥanīfah]
4. There is no minimum limit. [Mālik, Dāwūd]

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Concerning the maximum duration of menstruation, there are the following opinions:

1. The maximum is fifteen days. [Mālik, al-Shāfiʿī; narration from Aḥmad]
2. The maximum is seventeen days. [Another narration from Aḥmad]
3. The maximum is ten days. [Abū Ḥanīfah]

How long does menstruation last according to the jurists?