A woman asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ how to wash herself after menstruation. She mentioned that he taught her how to take bath and then told her to take a piece of cotton with musk and purify herself. She said: How should I purify myself with that? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Praise be to Allah, purify yourself with it, and covered his face, Sufyan b. 'Uyaina gave a demonstration by covering his face (as the Prophet had done). 'A'isha reported: I dragged her to my side for I had understood what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ intended and, therefore, said: Apply this cotton with musk to the trace of blood. Ibn 'Umar in his hadith (has mentioned the words of 'A'isha thus): Apply it to the marks of blood.  

سَأَلَتِ امْرَأَةٌ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَيْفَ تَغْتَسِلُ مِنْ حَيْضَتِهَا قَالَ فَذَكَرَتْ أَنَّهُ عَلَّمَهَا كَيْفَ تَغْتَسِلُ ثُمَّ تَأْخُذُ فِرْصَةً مِنْ مِسْكٍ فَتَطَهَّرُ بِهَا قَالَتْ كَيْفَ أَتَطَهَّرُ بِهَا قَالَ تَطَهَّرِي بِهَا سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَاسْتَتَرَ وَأَشَارَ لَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ بِيَدِهِ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ قَالَ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ وَاجْتَذَبْتُهَا إِلَىَّ وَعَرَفْتُ مَا أَرَادَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ تَتَبَّعِي بِهَا أَثَرَ الدَّمِ وَقَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ فَقُلْتُ تَتَبَّعِي بِهَا آثَارَ الدَّمِ  

A woman asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ how he should wash herself after the menstrual period. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Take a cotton with musk and purity yourself, and the rest of the hadith was narrated like that of Sufyan.  

أَنَّ امْرَأَةً سَأَلَتِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَيْفَ أَغْتَسِلُ عِنْدَ الطُّهْرِ فَقَالَ خُذِي فِرْصَةً مُمَسَّكَةً فَتَوَضَّئِي بِهَا ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ نَحْوَ حَدِيثِ سُفْيَانَ  

Asma (daughter of Shakal) asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about washing after menstruation. He said: Everyone amongst you should use water (mixed with the leaves of) the lote-tree and cleanse herself well, and then pour water on her head and rub it vigorously till it reaches the roots of the hair. Then she should pour water on it. Afterwards she should take a piece of cotton smeared with musk and cleanse herself with it. Asma' said: How should she cleanse herself with the help of that? Upon this he (the Messenger of Allah) observed: Praise be to Allah, she should cleanse herself. 'A'isha said in a subdued tone that she should apply it to the trace of blood. She (Asma) then further asked about bathing after sexual intercourse. He (the Holy Prophet) said: She should take water and cleanse herself well or complete the ablution and then (pour water) on her head and rub it till it reaches the roots of the hair (of her) head and then pour water on her. 'A'isha said: How good are the women of Ansar (helpers) that their shyness does not prevent them from learning religion.  

أَنَّ أَسْمَاءَ سَأَلَتِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ عَنْ غُسْلِ الْمَحِيضِ فَقَالَ تَأْخُذُ إِحْدَاكُنَّ مَاءَهَا وَسِدْرَتَهَا فَتَطَهَّرُ فَتُحْسِنُ الطُّهُورَ ثُمَّ تَصُبُّ عَلَى رَأْسِهَا فَتَدْلُكُهُ دَلْكًا شَدِيدًا حَتَّى تَبْلُغَ شُئُونَ رَأْسِهَا ثُمَّ تَصُبُّ عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ ثُمَّ تَأْخُذُ فِرْصَةً مُمَسَّكَةً فَتَطَهَّرُ بِهَا فَقَالَتْ أَسْمَاءُ وَكَيْفَ تَطَهَّرُ بِهَا فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ تَطَهَّرِينَ بِهَا فَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ كَأَنَّهَا تُخْفِي ذَلِكَ تَتَبَّعِينَ أَثَرَ الدَّمِ وَسَأَلَتْهُ عَنْ غُسْلِ الْجَنَابَةِ فَقَالَ تَأْخُذُ مَاءً فَتَطَهَّرُ فَتُحْسِنُ الطُّهُورَ أَوْ تُبْلِغُ الطُّهُورَ ثُمَّ تَصُبُّ عَلَى رَأْسِهَا فَتَدْلُكُهُ حَتَّى تَبْلُغَ شُئُونَ رَأْسِهَا ثُمَّ تُفِيضُ عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ فَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ نِعْمَ النِّسَاءُ نِسَاءُ الأَنْصَارِ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَمْنَعُهُنَّ الْحَيَاءُ أَنْ يَتَفَقَّهْنَ فِي الدِّينِ  

Cleanse yourself with it, and he covered (his face on account of shyness).  

وَقَالَ قَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ تَطَهَّرِي بِهَا وَاسْتَتَرَ  

Asma' b. Shakal came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: Messenger of Allah, how one amongst us should take a bath after the menstruation, and the rest of the hadith is the same and there is no mention of bathing because of sexual intercourse.  

دَخَلَتْ أَسْمَاءُ بِنْتُ شَكَلٍ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ تَغْتَسِلُ إِحْدَانَا إِذَا طَهُرَتْ مِنَ الْحَيْضِ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ فِيهِ غُسْلَ الْجَنَابَةِ