‘Umara ibn Ghurab reported that an aunt of his told him that she asked
Aishah, Umm al-Muminin, ‘If a woman’s husband desires her and she refuses
to give herself to him either because she is angry or not eager, is there
anything wrong in that?’
‘Yes,’ she replied. ‘Part of his right over you
is that if he desires you when you are on a saddle, you must not refuse him.’
She said, ‘I also asked her, ‘If one of us is menstruating and she and her
husband only have a single cover, what should she do?’ …
She replied, ‘She
should wrap her wrapper around her and sleep with him. He can have what is
above it. I will tell you what the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, did on one of his nights with me. I had cooked some barley and
made loaf for him. He came in, stopped at the door, and then went into the
mosque.
When he wanted to sleep, he closed the door, tied up the waterskin,
turned the cup over and put out the light. I waited for him and he ate the
loaf. He did not go until I fell asleep. Later he felt the cold and came
and got me up.
‘Warm me! Warm me!’ he said. I said, ‘I am menstruating.’
He said, ‘Then uncover your thighs,’ so I uncovered my thighs and he put
his cheek and head on my thighs until he was warm. Then a pet sheep belonging
to our neighbour came in. I went and took the load away. I disturbed the
Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he woke up, so I chased
the sheep to the door.
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
said, ‘Take what you got of your loaf and do not injure your neighbour’s
sheep.’’’’