হজ্জ

Aisha's narration of the Farewell হজ্জ is the most comprehensive single account we have of নবী করীম's হজ্জ. She described how she began menstruating upon arrival in Sarif, near মক্কা মুকাররমা, and wept in distress at not being able to perform উমরাহ. নবী করীম (সাল্লাল্লাহু আলাইহি ওয়া সাল্লাম) comforted her with extraordinary tenderness, saying, 'This is something that Allah has ordained for the daughters of Adam.' He instructed her to perform all হজ্জ rites except তাওয়াফ until she was pure, and later sent her with her brother Abdul Rahman to perform উমরাহ from Tan'im after she had completed her হজ্জ. Her detailed narrations of what নবী করীম said and did at each stage — at আরাফাত, মুযদালিফা, মিনা, during তাওয়াফ, and at the stoning — became the foundation upon which scholars built the entire body of হজ্জ jurisprudence.

Asma bint Umays (may Allah be pleased with her), wife of Abu Bakr at the time of the Farewell হজ্জ, gave birth to her son Muhammad at Dhul Hulayfah, the miqat for the people of মদীনা মুনাওয়ারা. This was the very starting point of the হজ্জ journey. She sent word to নবী করীম asking what she should do. He instructed her to perform গোসল (full ablution), bind herself (to manage the postpartum bleeding), and enter ইহরাম with the rest of the হাজীগণ. She was to perform all the হজ্জ rites except তাওয়াফ until she became pure from nifas. This remarkable narration established the definitive ruling for women experiencing postpartum bleeding during হজ্জ — a situation that many women throughout history have faced and found guidance through Asma's precedent.

Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that she complained to নবী করীম of feeling ill during হজ্জ. He told her to perform তাওয়াফ from behind the people while riding her mount. She rode around the কাবা শরীফ on her camel while নবী করীম prayed near the wall of the কাবা শরীফ. This narration established the permissibility of performing তাওয়াফ while riding or being carried — a ruling that benefits elderly and disabled হাজীগণ to this day. Safiyyah bint Huyayy began menstruating after performing তাওয়াফ al-ifadah, and নবী করীম confirmed that she could depart মক্কা মুকাররমা without performing তাওয়াফ al-wada (farewell তাওয়াফ), establishing the ruling that menstruating women are exempted from the farewell তাওয়াফ. Each of these narrations from the female companions addressed a real situation faced by real women, and নবী করীম's compassionate, practical responses continue to guide millions of women performing হজ্জ fourteen centuries later.

The female companions at the Farewell হজ্জ were not merely present — they were active participants whose questions, experiences, and narrations shaped Islamic practice. They asked questions when they were uncertain, reported their challenges honestly (including intimate health matters), and transmitted the knowledge they gained with precision and dedication. Their courage in raising gender-specific questions with নবী করীম — questions that other women might have been too shy to ask — provided answers that have benefited countless women across fourteen centuries and every corner of the globe. When you perform হজ্জ or উমরাহ as a woman, you walk in the footsteps of Aisha, Asma, Umm Salamah, Safiyyah, and dozens of other remarkable women whose faith, courage, and service to knowledge made your হজ্জ possible.