Can a Woman Do These Acts of Worship during Her Menses?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

Is it permissible for a woman to recite the Quran aloud or read a translation of the Quran and study the tafsir while on her menses? Can she also enter the masjid and sit in the place of prayer? What is both the Hanafi and Shafi‘i viewpoint?

Answer

Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for your care and concern to do what is right, especially during this blessed month.

Worship during Menses

In the Reliance of the Traveller, it says:

All things unlawful for someone in minor ritual impurity are also unlawful for someone in a state of major ritual impurity (N: or menstruation). In addition, it is likewise unlawful for such a person:

1. to remain in a mosque;
2. or to recite any of the Koran, even part of a single verse, though it is permissible to use its invocations (dhikr) when the intention is not Koran recital (O: such as saying in disasters, “Surely we are Allah’s, and unto Him we will return,” and the like). If one intends Koran recital, it is disobedience, but if one intends it primarily as invocation (dhikr), or as nothing in particular, it is permissible.

It is permissible to pass through a mosque (A: though not to enter and leave by the same door (Ar. taraddud), which is unlawful) when one is in a state of major ritual impurity, but this is offensive when there is no need.

Please see these links as well for the Hanafi point of view:

• Rulings Related to the Quran and a Woman in the State of Menstruation.
• Acts Prohibited During Menstruation and Their Proofs
• Entering a mosque during menses
• Can I Recite Qur’an During Menstruation?
• Why Can’t A Menstruating Woman Touch the Qur’an? Islam’s Perspective on Menstruation

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.