Can women who are memorizing the Quran read it during their menstrual periods?

1. What are the proofs and details of the fatwa issued by Maliki madhhab permitting women who are memorizing the Quran to read it during their menstrual periods?
2. Can a woman who follows a different madhhab act upon this fatwa and read the Quran during her menstrual periods?
3. What are the fatwas of other madhhabs on this matter?

Dear Brother / Sister,

According to the Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hanbali madhhabs, it is not permissible for those in a state of janabah (ritual impurity) or menstruation to touch the Quran.

However, according to Maliki madhhab, a menstruating woman may touch the Mushaf (the written copy of the Quran) and read the Quran for educational purposes. (Azhari, Jawahiral-Iqlil Sharhu Mukhtasari Khalil, I, 32; Muhammad Ulaysh, Sharhu Minahil-Jalil, I, 104)

Therefore, to ensure that the education and teaching of the Quran can continue uninterrupted today, one can act in accordance with this view of the Maliki madhhab.

However, since there are many different ways and methods of Quranic education and teaching, another method that can be applied during this period for women is to receive auditory training by listening to the reciters of the Quran, or by listening from CDs, DVDs, phones, computers, or other devices, and to focus on the correct pronunciation of letters by breaking the verses down word by word. This method, if possible, may be more cautious in order to avoid controversy.

Let us get into the details after this brief introduction:

Reading the Quran while menstruating

Madhhabs differ on the ruling regarding a menstruating woman reading the Quran. According to fiqh scholars of the three madhhabs other than Maliki madhhab, it is haram. Even the scholars of these three madhhabs who accept the prohibition of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) on this matter (Ibn Maja, Taharah, 105; Tirmidhi, Taharah, 98) as evidence, have differed on certain details.

In Hanafi madhhab, even pronouncing phrases shorter than a single verse with the intention of reciting the Quran is not considered permissible; however, it is not deemed objectionable for female teachers to fulfill their duties by pronouncing the words one by one while giving Quran lessons. Similarly, reciting the Quran with the intention of supplication (dua) and dhikr is also considered permissible.

Shafi’i fiqh scholars have not deemed it permissible for a menstruating woman to pronounce even a single letter of the Quran but they say that it is permissible for her to read silently from the Quran in a way that she herself cannot hear.

In Hanbali madhab, it is not permissible to recite an entire verse or more but reciting only a portion of a verse is considered permissible on the grounds that the miraculous nature of the Quran is not found in phrases shorter than a verse and hence it is not considered disrespectful to its sublimity.

Similarly, in addition to those who permit reading for the purpose of dhikr and supplication without actually pronouncing the words, there are also scholars such as Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah who hold the view that a menstruating woman may read the Quran if there is a risk of forgetting it.

As for Malikis, they say that a woman can read the Quran during her menstruation, supported by opinions narrated from some Companions and Tabi’un scholars, but it is not permissible for her to do so from the moment the bleeding stops until she makes ghusl and becomes ritually pure. Ibn Hazm and some other scholars state that a menstruating woman and a person in a state of janabah can read the Quran. (al- Muhalla, I, 78-80) 

Whether a Menstruating Woman Can Touch the Quran

It is regarded impermissible by the vast majority of fiqh scholars, just like reading the Quran.

Those scholars cite as evidence the verse none shall touch but those who are clean (al-Waqia, 56/79) and the hadith stating that no one but the pure may touch the Quran (Muwatta, Quran, 1; Nasai, Qasama, 46).

However, Ibn Hazm and some other fiqh scholars state that the book mentioned in the verse refers to the Preserved Tablet (Lawh Mahfuz), not the Quran, that the hadith cannot be considered sound, and that the phrase “those who are pure (clean)” in both texts should be interpreted as angels or believers; thus, they conclude that there is no harm in a menstruating woman or a person in a state of janabah touching the Quran. (Muhalla, I, 81-84; Shawkani, I, 243-245)

In addition to the view that a menstruating woman may carry the Mushaf by holding it by its strap or outer cover, Malikis and some fiqh scholars from other madhhabs state that it is permissible for female teachers and students to touch it.

This view of Malikis is explained by their distinction between the state of janabah, which is voluntary, and menstruation, which is involuntary, and by their concern that the inability to read the Quran during prolonged menstruation might lead to forgetting it.

Similarly, based on the hadith stating that it is not permissible for a menstruating or ritually impure person to enter a mosque (Abu Dawud, Taharah, 92; Tirmidhi, Taharah, 126), there is a consensus that it is not permissible for a menstruating woman to enter and remain in the mosque.

However, it is considered permissible for them to pass through the mosque due to necessity or a valid excuse.

Note: We also recommend reading the following explanations on this topic:

1. Whether a Menstruating Woman Can Touch the Quran:

Ibn Rushd summarized his views on touching the Mushaf as follows: Some fiqh scholars have deemed it permissible for a person in a state of janabah to touch the Mushaf, while the majority have prohibited it; that is, they have concluded that it is not permissible. They are the same scholars who state that it is not permissible for those who do not have wudu to touch the Mushaf.

The reason for this disagreement (different ijtihad) is the verse “Which none shall touch but those who are clean” (al-Waqia, 56/79). We discussed differing interpretations of this verse in the section on wudu. Those who do not consider it permissible for menstruating women to touch the Mushaf also rely on the same evidence.

Ibn Hazm argues that it is permissible for those without wudu or those in a state of janabah or menstruation to touch the Mushaf, giving the following incident as evidence: The Prophet (pbuh) sent a letter to Heraclius that contained a verse of the Quran; the letter was given to a non-Muslim and no objection was raised to his touching the verse.

He argues that the hadith cited by the majority, which states that “those who are without wudu or in a state of janabah cannot touch the Mushaf” is not sound, and that the sound version is a mursal hadith (lacking an unbroken chain of narrators up to the Prophet).

As for the verse quoted above, Ibn Hazm’s commentary on it is as follows:

Allah Almighty does not say “...they must not touch it”; He says, “...they shall not touch it”. We observe that, in fact, everyone (pure, impure, Muslim, unbeliever...) touches the Quran; therefore, the book mentioned in this verse is not the Mushaf, but the “maknun” (hidden, concealed) book explained in verse 78, the original of the Quran in the Preserved Tablet, and only angels can touch it...

2. Whether a Menstruating Woman Can Read the Quran:

Ibn Rushd summarizes the issue as follows:

Fiqh have reached different conclusions on this matter. While the majority do not consider it permissible for someone in a state of janabah or menstruation to read the Quran, some consider it permissible. The source of this disagreement is the following narration: “Nothing prevented the Prophet (pbuh) from reciting the Quran except the state of janabah.” According to those who say it is permissible, this narration is meaningless; unless the Prophet (pbuh) said, “I cannot recite because of the state of janabah”, this conclusion cannot be drawn from the narration; there may be other reasons why he did not recite when he was in that state. According to those who say it is not permissible, the Companion who narrated this statement could not have said it on his own; he must have had some knowledge. The majority are also divided into two groups regarding menstruating women. Considering that menstruation lasts for a considerable period, Imam Malik says “she can recite a small amount” while others have not distinguished between menstruating women and those in a state janabah.

After titling his article “Reading the Quran, performing the prostration of recitation, touching the Mushaf, and remembering Allah; all of them are permissible for those who have or do not have wudu, and for those who are in a state of janabah or menstruation”, Ibn Hazm explains his general evidence as follows:

“They are virtuous deeds, encouraged actions for which reward has been promised; those who say that they cannot be done in some cases must provide evidence (to prove their claim).”

Ibn Hazm rejects the evidence put forward by the opposing side on the grounds that they consist either of unreliable narrations or do not support a decree; he also includes examples from the mujtahids among the Companions and the Tabi’un that support his own ijtihad.

To sum up, there is consensus (ijma) on the issues of “women not being allowed to perform prayers or fast during menstruation” but, there is disagreement on the issues of “entering the mosque, touching and reading the Quran, and performing the necessary circumambulation (tawaf); the majority do not consider them permissible but some Islamic scholars deem them permissible.

In Islamic fiqh, ijma is binding, but the opinion of the majority is not. Even in the four well-known madhhabs, sometimes when one madhhab contradicts all the others (in this sense, the majority), its followers follow the ijtihad of that single madhhab, rather than the ijtihad of the majority.

No one forces women to enter the mosque or read the Quran during menstruation; however, if they follow a different (permissible) ijtihad and do so, no one has the right to prevent or condemn them.

For additional information, see

- Ibn Qayyim, I’lam, Egypt, 1955, pp. 25, 34 ff.
- Ibn Rushd, Bidayatul-Mujtahid, Beirut, 1987, p. 29 ff. (The rulings on the state of (janabah) and menstruation.
- Ibn Hazm, al- Muhalla, II, 77, 184.

Questions on Islam