Did Menstruation Occur Because Hawwa Ate from the Tree?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

I was told that menstruation occurs because when Hawwa, may Allah be pleased with her, ate from the forbidden tree, Allah put her in a state of menstruation. Is this true? If it is, does it mean menstruation is a sort of punishment for all women due to Hawwa’s actions? My understanding was that Islam differs from other religions in that it does not stigmatize menstruation.

Answer

Thank you for your question. You are totally correct that Islam does not stigmatize menstruation in the way that other religions and cultures have.

Hawwa

Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) and his wife ate from the tree but were not sinners because of it. Please see that explanation here:
Did Adam Sin in Paradise?

Destiny

Rather, Allah sent them down to Earth for a purpose that He had already decreed, and they were deemed to fulfill the destiny of mankind. Menstruation was not given to her as a punishment, curse, or anything else negative, but rather as a part of life, one of many natural and normal things.

Article

The most detailed, most useful answer I can give you is linked below. Please read it in full:
Why Can’t a Menstruating Woman Touch the Qur’an? Islam’s Perspective on Menstruation

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.