And the Sage said: "None shall believe in his today except he who had believed in his yesterday."
"Furthermore, you know what affects women of menstruation and impurity, such that they are cut off from prayer—which is the pillar of religion—and from fasting. If menstruation overtakes them while they are performing the Pilgrimage on the day of the Eid, their Pilgrimage is invalidated. If they place their hands upon food, drink, or clothing, they render it impure. These are reasons that point to their dispraise."
My father said to him: "Then what is the interpretation of the word of Allah: “And if it were not for believing men and believing women whom you did not know...”1, and His word: “Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women...”2, and His word: “O Prophet, when the believing women come to you pledging to you...”3?"
The jeweler said: "Do you not know that Allah named a people among the believers, saying: “Indeed, those who believed”4, when faith was apparent from them, then they disbelieved; so He described them with disbelief after faith. Then He said: “...then believed, then disbelieved, then increased in disbelief.” Faith is thus both stable and transient."
My father said: "What do you say regarding Hubabah al-Walibiyya? Is she praised or dispraised?"
The jeweler said to him: "Since you have reminded me of the matter of Hubabah al-Walibiyya, I shall relate to you a report I heard:
It is related from Dawud ibn Ismail al-Ansari that he said: We were gathered at the home of Hubabah, and among us was a group of the Shi‘a. We were delving into some knowledge when a man we did not know entered upon us. He offered salutations and we returned them. He said to us: 'Are you not believers?' We said: 'Yes.' He said: 'I am a