Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 1652
sahih

Narrated Hafsa:

(On `Id) We used to forbid our virgins to go out (for `Id prayer). A lady came and stayed at the fortress of Bani Khalaf. She mentioned that her sister was married to one of the companions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who participated in twelve Ghazawats along with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and her sister was with him in six of them. She said, "We used to dress the wounded and look after the patients." She (her sister) asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , "Is there any harm for a woman to stay at home if she doesn't have a veil?" He said, "She should cover herself with the veil of her companion and she should take part in the good deeds and in the religious gatherings of the believers." When Um 'Atiyya came, I asked her. "Did you hear anything about that?" Um 'Atiyya said, "Bi Abi" and she never mentioned the name of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) without saying "Bi Abi" (i.e. 'Let my father be sacrificed for you'). We asked her, "Have you heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying so and so (about women)?" She replied in the affirmative and said, "Let my father be sacrificed for him. He told us that unmarried mature virgins who stay often screened or unmarried young virgins and mature girls who stay often screened should come out and take part in the good deeds and in the religious gatherings of the believers. But the menstruating women should keep away from the Musalla (praying place)." I asked her, "The menstruating women?" She replied, "Don't they present themselves at `Arafat and at such and such places?"

حَدَّثَنَا مُؤَمَّلُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ حَفْصَةَ، قَالَتْ كُنَّا نَمْنَعُ عَوَاتِقَنَا أَنْ يَخْرُجْنَ، فَقَدِمَتِ امْرَأَةٌ فَنَزَلَتْ قَصْرَ بَنِي خَلَفٍ، فَحَدَّثَتْ أَنْ أُخْتَهَا كَانَتْ تَحْتَ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَدْ غَزَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثِنْتَىْ عَشْرَةَ غَزْوَةً، وَكَانَتْ أُخْتِي مَعَهُ فِي سِتِّ غَزَوَاتٍ، قَالَتْ كُنَّا نُدَاوِي الْكَلْمَى وَنَقُومُ عَلَى الْمَرْضَى‏.‏ فَسَأَلَتْ أُخْتِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ هَلْ عَلَى إِحْدَانَا بَأْسٌ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهَا جِلْبَابٌ أَنْ لاَ تَخْرُجَ قَالَ ‏"‏ لِتُلْبِسْهَا صَاحِبَتُهَا مِنْ جِلْبَابِهَا، وَلْتَشْهَدِ الْخَيْرَ، وَدَعْوَةَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَتْ أُمُّ عَطِيَّةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ سَأَلْنَهَا ـ أَوْ قَالَتْ سَأَلْنَاهَا ـ فَقَالَتْ وَكَانَتْ لاَ تَذْكُرُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلاَّ قَالَتْ بِأَبِي‏.‏ فَقُلْنَا أَسَمِعْتِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَتْ نَعَمْ بِأَبِي‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ لِتَخْرُجِ الْعَوَاتِقُ ذَوَاتُ الْخُدُورِ ـ أَوِ الْعَوَاتِقُ وَذَوَاتُ الْخُدُورِ ـ وَالْحُيَّضُ، فَيَشْهَدْنَ الْخَيْرَ، وَدَعْوَةَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَيَعْتَزِلُ الْحُيَّضُ الْمُصَلَّى ‏"‏‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ الْحَائِضُ‏.‏ فَقَالَتْ أَوَ لَيْسَ تَشْهَدُ عَرَفَةَ، وَتَشْهَدُ كَذَا وَتَشْهَدُ كَذَا

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 25, Hadith 133
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 2, Book 26, Hadith 714 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Islam has honoured women and made them a natural partner to men. It has defined their rights and responsibilities, and the rulings pertaining to them like menses, post-partum blooding, seclusion with the opposite gender, attending public gatherings, and so on. In this hadeeth, Hafsah bintSeereen mentions that they used to forbid young women from attending the two ‘Eid prayers. The Arabic word used in the narration to describe the young women is ‘Awaatiq (lit. freed). It means females who have just reached puberty but are not yet married and still live at their family’s house. The relevance of the name to their condition is that at such age she can depend on herself, and her parent no longer needs to serve her and fulfil her needs outside the house. Another possible meaning is that it refers to the young girl that is so loved by her parents. Hafsah further says that a woman came to al-Basrah and stayed at the palace of Banee Khalaf, the grandfather of Talhah al-Talhaat, and she narrated about her sister (i.e., Umm Atiyyah) whose husband took part in twelve battles along with the Prophet (ﷺ), and her sister was with her husband in six out of these twelve. Then she mentioned that her sister said that they used to treat the wounded, look after the patients. And one time, she asked the Prophet ﷺif it is sinful for a woman to stay at home, and does not attend these gatherings, because she does not have a veil to wear when she goes out. The Prophet ﷺtold her that in this case, she should borrow a veil from her friend to cover herself and participate in the good deeds and in the religious gathering of the Muslims like the ‘Eid prayer. Hafsah then mentioned that people inquired from Umm ‘Atiyyah (raa) about the hadeeth she related so she confirmed that she heard it directly from the Prophet ﷺand said: “May my father be sacrificed for him” and added that he ﷺstated that let out the ‘Awaatiq (plural of ‘Aatiq) which is the young girl who reached puberty or is about to reach puberty or in an age suitable for marriage or the one who is highly valued by her parents or who is freed from fulfilling the needs of the family outside the house. It appears that they used to forbid these young girls from leaving the house because of the corruption that was present at their time. The Companions (ras) however held the view that the ruling that was practised during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺshould not change despite all that. The Prophet ﷺordered that even unmarried virgin girls who stay in the house far from the eyes of people should go out to attend the ‘Eid prayer. The order to attend the religious gatherings of Muslims included menstruating women, but they have to keep away from the place where the ‘Eid prayer is established. Upon hearing this, Umm ‘Atiyyah was surprised that menstruating women should attend too! The Prophet ﷺexplained to her that she can and reminded that menstruating women attend ‘Arafaat and the other rites of Hajj. From the benefits that can be concluded from this hadeeth is learning that menstruating women can attend all the rites of Hajj except Tawaaf. The hadeeth shows that woman can treat the wounded, look after the patients in times of war. It shows us that the Companions (ras) used to correct the misconceptions and mistakes of the Taab’ieen..
Related hadiths2
Compare isnād across 2 related chains →