Ulum al Qur'an
Response to a General Question
There are numerous occasions when revelation was sent down providing guidance concerning general questions that had arisen in the Muslim community.
Thabit narrated from Anas: Among the Jews, when a woman menstruated, they did not dine with her, nor did they live with them in their houses; so the Companions of the apostle (may peace be upon him) asked the apostle (may peace be upon him) and Allah the Exalted revealed:
'And they ask you about menstruation: say it is a pollution, so keep away from women during menstruation' to the end (Qur'an 2: 222).
The messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Do everything except intercourse ... [Muslim, I. No. 592.]
This report is also a good example of how the Prophet himself explained the meanings of the revelation when such questions arose.