TASTAHIDDA

Muhammad also made effective use of what are known in literary criticism as vulgar expressions.  Once the Prophet and his party returned from an expedition rather late, and his Companions wanted to hurry to their homes.  But the Prophet told them to wait till �the woman with dishevelled hair may comb it, and the woman whose husband had been away may get herself clean; and when you enter, you have the enjoyment� (3462).

The translator tells us that the Arabic word for �get herself clean� is tastahidda, which literally means �to remove the hairs on the private parts,� but it is here used metaphorically in the sense of getting ready for the husband�s company (note 1926).