#297: Ruling on a Menstruating Woman entering into the Masjid and Reciting the Qur’ān
Question
” As-Salaam Alaykum!!!
Please can a female enter the masjid while menstruating? If yes please I need an hadith that talk about it….
And can a female read or recite the Quran while menstruating as well.”
ANSWER
Wa alaykum salaam warahmatullaah wabarakaatuh!
Alhamdulillaah, as regards entering the Masjid, the majority of the Fuqahaa from all the Madhaahib hold that it is not permissible for both a menstruating woman and a woman experiencing post-natal bleeding to enter into the Masjid and stay.
The evidence for this is the Hadith that was transmitted and recorded by both Imaam Al-Bukhaari and Imam Muslim – rahimahumallaah – from Umm Atiyyah – radiyallaahu anha – where she said:
“We were commanded, us the elderly women and the virgins to go out for both Ids, and the menstruating women were commanded to avoid the prayer grounds of the Muslims.”
The hadith shows, as the majority of the Fuqahaa reasoned, that though the menstruating women were asked to go out for the Id, they were to stay away from the Praying ground (Musallaa).
The Hanafis view that it is both impermissible for her to enter the Masjid and to stay there.
Imaam As-Sarakhsi – rahimahullaah – said in ‘Al-Mabsut’ 3/153:
“Of it is that she must not enter into the Masjid for the reason that what she experiences of Ill is more severe than Janaabah. And the one that is Junub has been prohibited from entering into the Masjid. Same applies to the menstruating. This is because the Masjid is a place of Salaat, therefore whosoever is not of those that can observe Salaat is forbidden from entering into it.”
The position is same for the Malikis as Ad-Dasuki mentioned in the Haashiya on Ash-Sharhu Al-Kabir, same for the Shafi’is as Abu Shuja’a mentioned in the Mukhtasar.
As for the Hanbalis, they consider it permissible for her to pass through and enter the Masjid but do not allow her to sit and stay in it.
Al-Muwaffaq Ibn Qudaamah Al-Maqdisi – rahimahullaah – said:
“The Junub, the menstruating and the woman in post-natal bleeding are not allowed to sit or remain in the Masjid while it is permissible for her to pass through it if there is a need to pick up something or something of that similar.”
Al-Mughni
Similar was mentioned by Imaam Ibn Al-Muflih – rahimahullaah – in ‘Al-Furu’.
The evidence for her entering and not sitting or remaining as held by the Hanbalis is the Hadith of Ummu Al-Mu’minin A’ishah – radiyallaahu anha – that was recorded and transmitted by Imam Ahmad in the Musnad and Imam Muslim in the Sahih where she said:
“The Messenger of Allah – salallaahu alayhi wasallam – said to me: bring for me the scrolls that are in the Masjid. She said: I said: I am menstruating. He said: your menstruation does not lie in your hands.”
The Hadith shows that she is allowed to enter into the Masjid in order to attend to something if need, and it is derived that the statement of A’ishah – radiayallaahu anha – particularly mentioned that she was menstruating because she had prior knowledge that menstruating women were not allowed into the Masjid.
The Dhahiris, as represented by Imaam Ibn Hazm – rahimahullaah – and some other Ulamaa hold that it is permissible for her to both enter the Masjid and to remain there. While some of the Hanbalis hold that she can enter and remain if she observes the Wudhu.
What is correct, Allah willing, of the positions, is that held by the Hanbalis officially that a menstruating woman can enter the Masjid to do one or two things but should not remain there sitting.
Allaahu A’alam.
As for her reciting the Qur’an, we can divide it into three possibilities.
The first: that she recites from her heart.
Majority of the Fuqahaa viewed that it were not permissible for her to engage in recitations even if it is from her memory. Their evidence for this is the Hadith of A’ishah – radiyallaahu anha – where she said:
“Indeed the Messenger of Allah – salallaahu alayhi wasallam – was not prevented by anything from reciting the Qur’an except for janaabah.”
Recorded by Imam Ahmad, Abu Daawud and At-Tirmidhi.
Imaam Maalik held that it was permissible for her to recite from her memory. This view was shared by Ash-Shaafi’i in one of his verdicts and by Imam Ahmad in one of the narrations from him. Ibn Taymiyyah also holds this view.
Second: her recitation with the Mus’haf in her hands while their is a barrier between her hands and the Mus’haf.
Concerning this, the official position of the Madhaahib is that it were impermissible but they permit it for the one who is Junub and is not holding the entire Mus’haf.
Shaykhu Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah – rahimahullaah – held that it were permissible for her to recite with the Mus’haf in her hands as long as there is a barrier between her hands and the Mus’haf.
Al-Mardaawi – rahimahullaah – quoted from him in Al-Insaaf that he said it was Haraam for her to remain as such if she fears that she would lose some of what she had memorized if she does not recite from the Qur’an accordingly.
The Third: reciting the Qur’an holding the Mus’haf without a barrier.
To its unrestricted permissibility inclines the Dhahiris and some of the later scholars.
For the first scenario, the correct verdict is that of Maalik and for the second, the position held by Imaam Ibn Taymiyyah is the sound position Allah willing.
Based on this, a menstruating woman may recite the Qur’an from her memory, from a handset screen or from a computer screen. But not with the Mus’haf directly in her hands.
Allaahu A’alam
Baarakallaahu feekum
Jazaakumullaahu khayran
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