QURAN AND MENSTRUATING WOMEN
QUESTION:
As salaamu Alaikum,
what are the laws for a woman towards reading Quran or doing tafseer when she’s menstruating
ANSWER:
Wa Alaikum As Salaam,
It is not permissible for a woman in her menses to read/recite or touch the Holy Quran. The prophet (S.A.S) has strictly prohibited this. In this regard, he said, ‘A woman in menses and a man in major ritual impurity must not recite anything of the Quran’ (Tirmidhi Hadith No. 131).
Based on this, the Jurists have stated that while in the state of menses, a woman must not recite anything of the Holy Quran.
The famous book of fiqh, Bada’i states ‘As for the law of menses and Nifas’, then these prohibit a woman from Salah, fasting and recitation of the Holy Quran’ (Bada’I As Sana’I chapter on Haidh and nifas – Book of Taharah).
With respect to doing Tafseer of the Holy Quran, while a woman is in the state of menses, this is also prohibited. While doing the Tafseer, the woman will be required to hold the Tafseer book with her hand and also recite verses of the Holy Quran (in Arabic) while doing the Tafseer, and both of these are prohibited.
While writing about this, the great Jurist expert Allamah Qadhi Khalid Saifullah Rahmani writes, ‘While in the state of impurity (menses), it is not permissible to touch the Holy Quran or such books of Tafseer in which the verses/words of the Holy Quran are more than the explanations given’. (Kitabul Fatawa Vol. 2 pg. 102).
And Allah Knows best
Mufti Waseem Khan
08/10/2018