Ayah 222 of Surah Al-Baqarah, one of the pivotal verses in Islamic jurisprudence, addresses the subject of menstruation and the related rulings within the framework of marital relations. This interpretation, employing a scientific and systematic approach, undertakes an in-depth examination of this verse and its associated issues from the jurisprudential, biological, and social perspectives. The objective of this treatise is to provide a coherent and precise viewpoint that, while preserving the originality of the Qur'anic content, critiques and reforms the prevailing methodologies in religious sciences and underscores the necessity of scientific transformation in this domain. The structure of this work is arranged in a manner that, with an elevated and sophisticated language suitable for learned audiences, meticulously presents all details and extracted points from the original text with full explanation and elaboration.
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْمَحِيضِ ۖ قُلْ هُوَ أَذًى فَاعْتَزِلُوا النِّسَاءَ فِي الْمَحِيضِ ۖ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوهُنَّ حَتَّىٰ يَطْهُرْنَ ۖ فَإِذَا تَطَهَّرْنَ فَأْتُوهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ
And they ask you concerning menstruation. Say: It is an injury; so keep away from women during menstruation, and do not approach them until they are purified. But when they have purified themselves, then come to them from where Allah has commanded you. Indeed, Allah loves those who repent and loves those who purify themselves.
This verse, with its focus on conjugal relations, regulates the rulings related to menstruation in the context of family life. This emphasis reflects the Qurans particular attention to preserving privacy and organising spousal relations, as if menstruation is a key that unlocks the sanctity of married life rather than an obstacle to other familial interactions.
Menstruation transcends a mere biological phenomenon; it acts as a natural industrial process within the workshop of creation. This mechanism purifies the uterus and prepares it for progeny, playing a pivotal role in the survival of humankind. This process resembles a clear spring bubbling from the heart of nature, instilling life within the human body.
The uterus, as the holiest locus of creation, is naturally cleansed through menstruation. This characteristic exhibits divine wisdom in designing the cosmos, as though the uterus is a temple wherein human life is formed with wondrous order.
Menstruation serves as a guardian that ensures the health of the uterus. Without this process, the sustainability of procreation would be jeopardised, and women would not be able to give birth to several healthy children. This fact highlights the exalted status of women within the cycle of human life.
Menstruation is part of the inherent nature of womens creation, embedded in their biological framework since the dawn of humanity. This feature resembles a river that has flowed eternally within womens bodies, gifting life to succeeding generations.
Shiite jurisprudence, with unmatched detail in the rulings of menstruation, istihadah (non-menstrual bleeding), and nifas (postpartum bleeding), demonstrates profound attention to womens matters. These rulings constitute a network of precise and delicate laws that regulate womens lives with divine order.
Besides the biological aspects, menstruation, istihadah, and nifas exert deep impacts on womens psychology. These effects are akin to waves blowing over the ocean of womens souls, necessitating scientific and precise analyses for comprehensive understanding.
The uterus acts as a workshop managing the life cycle autonomously without external assistance. This self-sufficiency exemplifies the precise divine engineering in the creation of women.
The Quranic term "a" introduces menstruation as a natural affliction, whose physical and psychological pressures exempt women from mandatory acts of worship such as prayer. This divine wisdom acts like a breeze alleviating the burden of obligation from women during this time.
Although obligatory worship is prohibited during menstruation, doors to voluntary acts remain open. Women can, by dhikr and prayer, construct a spiritual ladder to heaven, thus avoiding spiritual isolation.
The presence of unscientific and superstitious material in some commentaries resembles chaff settling on the pure water of religious truth, revealing the urgent need to cleanse these texts. This challenge has subjected religious sciences to a test of authenticity.
