Umayyah, daughter of AbusSalt, quoted a certain woman of Banu Ghifar, whose name was mentioned to me, as saying: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ made me ride behind him on the rear of the camel saddle. By Allah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ got down in the morning. He made his camel kneel down and I came down from the back of his saddle. There was a mark of blood on it (saddle) and that was the first menstruation that I had. I stuck to the camel and felt ashamed. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw what had happened to me and saw the blood, he said: Perhaps you are menstruating. I said: Yes. He then said: Set yourself right (i.e. tie some cloth to prevent bleeding), then take a vessel of water and put some salt in it, and then wash the blood from the back of the saddle, and then return to your mount. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ conquered Khaybar, he gave us a portion of the booty. Whenever the woman became purified from her menses, she would put salt in water. And when she died, she left a will to put salt in the water for washing her (after death).  

عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ مِنْ بَنِي غِفَارٍ قَدْ سَمَّاهَا لِي قَالَتْ أَرْدَفَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى حَقِيبَةِ رَحْلِهِ قَالَتْ فَوَاللَّهِ لَمْ يَزَلْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى الصُّبْحِ فَأَنَاخَ وَنَزَلْتُ عَنْ حَقِيبَةِ رَحْلِهِ فَإِذَا بِهَا دَمٌ مِنِّي فَكَانَتْ أَوَّلَ حَيْضَةٍ حِضْتُهَا قَالَتْ فَتَقَبَّضْتُ إِلَى النَّاقَةِ وَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ فَلَمَّا رَأَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَا بِي وَرَأَى الدَّمَ قَالَ مَا لَكِ لَعَلَّكِ نُفِسْتِ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَأَصْلِحِي مِنْ نَفْسِكِ ثُمَّ خُذِي إِنَاءً مِنْ مَاءٍ فَاطْرَحِي فِيهِ مِلْحًا ثُمَّ اغْسِلِي مَا أَصَابَ الْحَقِيبَةَ مِنَ الدَّمِ ثُمَّ عُودِي لِمَرْكَبِكِ قَالَتْ فَلَمَّا فَتَحَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَيْبَرَ رَضَخَ لَنَا مِنَ الْفَىْءِ قَالَتْ وَكَانَتْ لاَ تَطَّهَّرُ مِنْ حَيْضَةٍ إِلاَّ جَعَلَتْ فِي طَهُورِهَا مِلْحًا وَأَوْصَتْ بِهِ أَنْ يُجْعَلَ فِي غُسْلِهَا حِينَ مَاتَتْ  

Asma' entered upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: Messenger of Allah, how should one of us take bath when she is purified from her menses ? He said: She should take water mixed with the leaves of lote-tree; then should perform ablution and wash her head and rub it so much so that water reaches the roots of the hair; she should then our water upon her body. Then she should take a piece of cloth (or cotton or wool) and purify with it. She asked: Messenger of Allah, how should I purify with it ? 'Aishah said: I understood what he (the Prophet) said metaphorically. I, therefore, said to her: Remove the marks of blood.  

دَخَلَتْ أَسْمَاءُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ تَغْتَسِلُ إِحْدَانَا إِذَا طَهُرَتْ مِنَ الْمَحِيضِ قَالَ تَأْخُذُ سِدْرَهَا وَمَاءَهَا فَتَوَضَّأُ ثُمَّ تَغْسِلُ رَأْسَهَا وَتَدْلُكُهُ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ الْمَاءُ أُصُولَ شَعْرِهَا ثُمَّ تُفِيضُ عَلَى جَسَدِهَا ثُمَّ تَأْخُذُ فِرْصَتَهَا فَتَطَّهَّرُ بِهَا قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ أَتَطَهَّرُ بِهَا قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَعَرَفْتُ الَّذِي يَكْنِي عَنْهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ لَهَا تَتَّبِعِينَ بِهَا آثَارَ الدَّمِ  

One of their women came upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She then reported the rest of the tradition to the same effect; but this version she said the words: "a musk-scented piece of cloth." Musaddad said: Abu 'Awanah used the word firsah (i.e. a piece of cloth), but Abu Al-Ahwas used the word qasrah (i.e. a small piece of cloth).  

وَقَالَتْ دَخَلَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَذَكَرَ مَعْنَاهُ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِرْصَةً مُمَسَّكَةً قَالَ مُسَدَّدٌ كَانَ أَبُو عَوَانَةَ يَقُولُ فِرْصَةً وَكَانَ أَبُو الأَحْوَصِ يَقُولُ قَرْصَةً  

Asma' asked the Prophet ﷺ and then narrated the rest of the tradition to the same effect. He (the Prophet) said: "a musk-scented piece of cloth." She (Asma') said: How should I purify with it ? He said: By glory of Allah ! Purify with it, and he covered his face with the cloth. This version also adds: "She asked about the washing because of sexual defilement." He said: Take your water and purify yourself as best as possible. Then pour water over yourself. 'Aishah said: The best of the women are the women of the Ansar. Shyness would not prevent them from inquiring about religion and from acquiring deep understanding in it.  

أَنَّ أَسْمَاءَ سَأَلَتِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ بِمَعْنَاهُ قَالَ فِرْصَةً مُمَسَّكَةً قَالَتْ كَيْفَ أَتَطَهَّرُ بِهَا قَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ تَطَهَّرِي بِهَا وَاسْتَتِرِي بِثَوْبٍ وَزَادَ وَسَأَلَتْهُ عَنِ الْغُسْلِ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ فَقَالَ تَأْخُذِينَ مَاءَكِ فَتَطَهَّرِينَ أَحْسَنَ الطُّهُورِ وَأَبْلَغَهُ ثُمَّ تَصُبِّينَ عَلَى رَأْسِكِ الْمَاءَ ثُمَّ تَدْلُكِينَهُ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ شُئُونَ رَأْسِكِ ثُمَّ تُفِيضِينَ عَلَيْكِ الْمَاءَ قَالَ وَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ نِعْمَ النِّسَاءُ نِسَاءُ الأَنْصَارِ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَمْنَعُهُنَّ الْحَيَاءُ أَنْ يَسْأَلْنَ عَنِ الدِّينِ وَيَتَفَقَّهْنَ فِيهِ