Series of Questions Addressed to Scholar Sheikh Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah,
Ameer of Hizb ut Tahrir through his Fiqhi Facebook Page

Question

As-Salaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakaatuhu

I have enquired many times regarding this issue: Is it permissible for the menstruating woman to recite the Qur'an? I heard many different answers, so which is the correct one?

Jazak Allah khair

Answer

Wa Alaikum us Salaam Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakaatuhu

Jurists (Fuqaha') have differed in the details of the issue of the recitation of the Qur'an by menstruating woman; many of them say it is prohibited, and some say it is permitted with details and conditions.

What I outweigh is that it is not permitted for the menstruating woman to recite the Qur'an for the saying of the Prophet (saw):

«لَا تَقْرَأُ الْحَائِضُ وَلَا الْجُنُبُ شَيْئًا مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ»

"Neither the menstruating woman nor the impure (Junub) should recite anything from the Qur'an" [narrated by At-Tirmithi]

This Hadeeth is taken by many scholars despite what has been said about it, nevertheless there is a Hadeeth Sahih regarding the prohibition of recitation of the Qur'an by the impure (junb), and the menstruating woman is impure in this case. Extracted by Abu Daoud and Nisaa'i, and in a narration by Ibn Majah with a similar context from Ali (ra), he said:

«كَانَ النَّبِيُّ يَخْرُجُ مِنَ الْخَلَاءِ فَيُقْرِئُنَا الْقُرْآنَ وَيَأْكُلُ مَعَنَا اللَّحْمَ، وَلَمْ يَحْجُبْهُ - أَوْ يَحْجُزْهُ - عَنِ الْقُرْآنِ شَيْءٌ لَيْسَ الْجَنَابَةَ»

"The Prophet (saw) used to come out of the water closet and teaches us the Qur'an and eats with us the meat, and nothing screened him-or prevented him from the Qur'an except for impurity".

It is clear from the Hadeeth that impurity prevents the recitation of the Qur'an, i.e. it prohibits the impure from reciting Qur'an; the menstruating woman is like the impure, so she is prohibited from reciting the Qur'an as it is the case with the impure (Junb).

Your brother,
Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah

The link to the answer from the Ameer's Facebook