What are the limits of sexual intercourse with a woman in menstruation?

What are the limits of sexual intercourse with a woman in menstruation?

Dear Brother / Sister,

There are some limits while being together with a woman in menstruation. As it is known, a husband can be together with his wife at normal times. The intercourse must be through the reproduction organs. However, when a woman is in menstruation, she cannot make love with her husband as comfortably as she normally does. It is not permissible for her to make love and to have sexual intercourse through her reproduction organ. 

However, a husband can kiss and caress his wife even when she is in menstruation. There is no drawback to touching, kissing, etc the part of the woman over the navel in terms of religion when she is in menstruation.

To make love with a woman when she is in menstruation is one of the sunnahs of our Prophet (pbuh). A woman who is in need of being desired and loved even without lust can feel bored and frustrated because of being uncared for and unlovely for a certain period every month. Therefore, it is not right to leave women uncared for in those days.

Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:

" When one of us, the wives of the Prophet, was in menstruation period, the Messenger of Allah wanted her to have a large cloth (covering the part between the navel and knees) on and then he turned towards her breasts.." (1)

The husband can touch and play sexually with his wife as long as he does not touch between her navel and knees when she is in menstruation. He can satisfy himself using his wife’s hand or other parts of her body; he can also touch and use between her navel and knees if that part is covered with something. There is no drawback to it; it is a virtuous and recommended act because he protects himself from haram and he cares for her wife when she is kind of ill, in menstruation period, and when she is likely to feel lonely. It is reported that our Prophet approached his wives like that when they were in menstruation. According to some scholars, the husband can do anything except sexual intercourse with his wife when she is in menstruation. Imam Muhammad holds that view. (2)

If the woman has an orgasm when she is in menstruation period, she does not have to make ghusl.. She can make ghusl after her period of menstruation ends. 

1) Nasai, 1,189.
2) İslam Fıkhı Ansiklopedisi

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