English translation
324. Narrated Ayyūb: Ḥafṣa رضي الله عنها said, "We used to forbid our young women to go out for the two 'Eid prayers. A woman came and stayed at the palace of Banī Khālaf and she narrated about her sister whose husband took part in twelve Ghazwāt (holy wars) along with the Prophet ﷺ, and her sister was with her husband in six (out of these twelve). She (the woman's sister) said, "We used to treat the wounded, look after the patients and once I asked the Prophet ﷺ, 'Is there any harm for any of us to stay at home if she doesn't have a veil?' He ﷺ said, 'She should cover herself with the veil of her companion and should participate in the good deeds and in the religious gathering of the Muslims.' When Umm 'Aṭiyya came I asked her whether she had heard it from the Prophet ﷺ. She replied, 'Yes. May my father be sacrificed for him (the Prophet ﷺ)! (Whenever she mentioned the Prophet ﷺ she used to say, 'May my father be sacrificed for him'). I have heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, "The unmarried virgins and the mature girls and the menstruating women should come out and participate in the good deeds as well as the invocations of faithful believers, but the menstruating women should keep away from the Muṣallā — praying place [i.e., Ṣalāt (prayers)]'." Hafṣa asked Umm 'Aṭiyya (surprisingly), "Do you say the menstruating women?" She replied, "Doesn't a menstruating woman attend 'Arafāt (Hajj) and such and such (other deeds)?"
