The verse:
"Do not approach them until they are pure [yathurna]; when they have purified [tatahharna], approach them." (Al-Baqarah: 222)
The two readings:
- "Yathurna" (light ta): read by Ibn Kathir, Abu Amr, Nafi, Ibn Amir, Abu Jafar. Meaning: cessation of menstrual blood — natural purification.
- "Yattaharna" (heavy ta, from yatataharna): read by Asim, Hamza, Al-Kisa'i, Khalaf. Meaning: bathing with water after blood stops.
Direct jurisprudential impact:
- Readers of "yathurna": permissibility established by cessation of blood alone — position of Malik and Abu Hanifah in some narrations.
- Readers of "yatataharna": bathing required before intercourse — position of Shafi'i, Ahmad, and the majority.
Preferred view:
The majority requires bathing, combining both readings: "yathurna" = cessation of blood; "yatataharna" = bathing — both are conditions.
Question: How did the two readings "yathurna" and "yatataharna" affect the jurisprudential issue of intercourse after menstruation?
Answer: Jurists differed: those reading "yathurna" required only cessation; those reading "yatataharna" required bathing. The majority requires bathing, combining both readings.