Woman touching the Qur’an during menstruation, and entering the mosque
Question: What is the ruling on a woman touching the Qur’an while menstruating, and is it permissible for her to enter the mosque? I have heard that some madhāhib say it is not allowed. Can you clarify the different opinions?
Summary:
Preferred opinion: The second view, that it is permissible with conditions, is stronger, as there is no clear and authentic proof prohibiting her from entering.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and may Peace and Blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
First opinion: It is not permissible for a menstruating woman to touch the muṣḥaf
This is the view of the majority of scholars, including the Mālikīs, Shāfiʿīs, and Ḥanbalīs.
Their evidences:
From the Qur'an:
- Al-Waqi'ah: 79
“touched by none except the purified ˹angels˺.”
They interpreted “purified” as those who are in a state of purification from minor and major ritual impurity.
The sanctity of the muṣḥaf and the need to honor it by avoiding touching it in a state of major impurity. Second opinion: It is permissible for a menstruating woman to touch the muṣḥaf This was held by Ibn Ḥazm al-Ẓāhirī, al-Shawkānī, Muḥammad Rashīd Riḍā, and some contemporary scholars. Their evidences: That the verse in Sūrat al-Wāqiʿah does not refer to the physical Qur’an, but rather to the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ). That the ḥadīth “No one touches the Qur’an except one who is pure” is mursal (missing a link) and therefore not a strong proof. There is no clear text that prohibits a menstruating woman from touching the muṣḥaf. A menstruating woman may be a teacher or student and need to handle the muṣḥaf. Preferred opinion: The second view, that it is permissible, is stronger. Menstruation is not within a woman’s control, as the Prophet ﷺ said: “Your menstruation is not in your hand.” [Agreed upon]
Ruling on a Menstruating Woman Entering the Mosque: First opinion: It is prohibited for a menstruating woman to enter the mosque in all cases This is the opinion of the majority: the Mālikīs, Shāfiʿīs, and Ḥanbalīs. Their evidences:
From the Sunnah:
- Sahih Muslim 890Umm ʿAṭiyyah رضي الله عنها
“We were commanded to bring out the menstruating women on the two ʿĪds so they could witness the gathering of the Muslims and their supplications, but they were to avoid the place of prayer.”
They said: This proves the menstruating woman should avoid even the open-air prayer area, so what about the enclosed mosques? The ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ: “I do not permit the mosque for the menstruating woman or the one in a state of janābah.” Narrated by Abū Dāwūd. Although some scholars weakened the chain, others considered it valid when viewed in light of other evidences.
Second opinion: It is permissible for a menstruating woman to enter the mosque if there is no risk of contamination This is the view of some Ḥanafīs, Ibn Ḥazm, al-Albānī رحمه الله, and others. Their evidences: The ḥadīth of Umm ʿAṭiyyah: They argued that the command was to avoid the prayer area, not the mosque itself. The prohibition was due to fear of the mosque being soiled with blood. If that concern is removed, such as by wearing sanitary protection, the prohibition no longer applies.
And Allah knows best.
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