Not allowed to listen or read Quran during Menses ?

[Umm Ahmed]

As saalaam alaykum .


The local Quran station here I listen to had a Shaykh talking about Ramadhan. The shaykh said "that women on their menses should not listen, or recite Quran as we are unclean," he then went on to say "why do we have to be pure ? not for the book its-self but the words kelam Allaah" and we should thus be tahir for reading,saying or listening to the words of Allaah.

Is this true ?

[Noorah]

Assalamualaykum sister

theres a difference of opinion amongst the scholars of the salaf with regards to reciting the Qur'an. there is no evidence from the sunnah clearly prohibiting a woman to do so though...

and Allah knows best

[Umm Ahmed]

Yes ukhtee I know about the touching and reading , but what about when your child is sick and you can not recite the Quls ? what about sura Al-khaf on a friday , what about ayat al kursi and sura Al mulk before sleeping ?
I live in a Muslim country most shops I enter have Quran playing, if I am not to listen to it then do I say "please put it off"

[Noorah]

Assalamualaykum

check this out insha Allah

http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=5048&ln=eng&txt=recite%20period

[abooturaab]

Question 28: Is it permissible for a mensing female and one that is having post partum bleeding to touch and read the Quran in the blessed month of Ramadan, the month that people specifically finish the Quran in it?

Answer: I don't know anything that prevents this. The Hadeeth: "...and no one touches it (the Quran), except the pure", some (scholars) say that is is mursal (hadeeth that does not mention a sahabee connecting the narration to the Messenger -salalahu alaahe wa saleem-) If this hadeeth is accepted due to its numerous narrations, then the meaning is, as mentioned by Ash Shawkanee in "Nail al Aw tar": ...and no one touches it except the pure, meaning: The Muslim, so the disbeliever should not be allowed to touch it. This is because the Messenger -salalahu alaahe wa saleem- forbid that a person travels with the Quaran to the land of the enemy. As for the statement of Allah: {No one touches it except the pure} surah al Waqi'ah:79, the meaning of the verse is: The Angels, as was mentioned by Imam Malik in his "Muwatta". He said: This verse is explained by the statement of Allah: {Verily this is a reminder * for the one who wants to remember and reflect * in the Honorable pages * raised and purified * in the hands of the scribes (angels)} surah Abasa:11-15. So the meaning of the verse is the Angels. Allah also said: {It (The Quran) was not sent down by the shayateen * nor should this take place and they can not do so * they have been removed from hearing it} surah ash Shara':210-212.

Question 29: Is it permissible for her (mensing and post partum bleeding) female to attend classes and gatherings of knowledge in the masjid?

Answer: There is no problem insha Allah. As for the Hadeeth: "I do not allow the masjid for the mensing, nor the post partum bleeding female." This is a weak hadeeth. The Prophet -salalahu alaaah wa saleem- also mentioned to 'Aisha: "Your mense is not in your hands." He also said to her (during Hajj): "Do everything that the Pilgrim does, except for tawwaf around the House (Ka'ba)." Therefore, there is no problem in her attending classes in the masjid.

[Umm Ahmed]

May Allaah reward you for your replies Ameen .

[Break The Cross]

Recitation of the Quran During Menses and Post Natal Bleeding

First of all, the Shariah deals with the sexually defiled and menstruating women in very different matters and ways. There are lots of differences between them:

1. The sexually defiled can at any time he wishes remove that state. He/she can make ghusl if there is no water then tayammum.

2. Menstruating woman can not do such, she is in that state for as long as Allah (SWT) wills, until her period comes to an end.

Recitiation of the Quran by menstruating and post-partum bleeding women has been made permissible by the Malikis, Shafis, Hanbalis, Abu Hanifa and a number of other scholars. There proof being:

1. Hadith of Bukhari and Muslim concerning the Eid prayer. Narrated Umm ‘Atiya (RA):

"I heard Allah’s Messenger (SAW) that the unmarried virgins and the mature girls and the menstruating women should come out and participate in the good deeds as well as invocations of faithful believers but the menstruating women should keep away from the Musalla - praying place [Salat (prayers)]. Someone asked (Umm ‘Atiya) (surprisingly), "Do you say the menstruating women?" She replied, "Doesn’t a menstruating woman attend ‘Arafat (Hajj) and such and such (other deeds)?"

Takbeer is a type of remembrance of Allah (SWT) and supplication is not any different from dhikr.

2. Hadith of Bukhari regarding Aisha (RA) when she got her menses on the way to Mecca. Narrated ‘Aisha (RA):

"We set out with the sole intention of performing Hajj and when we reached Sarif, (11 k.m. from Makka) I got my menses. Allah’s Messenger (SAW) came to me while I was weeping. He said "What is the matter with you? Have you got your menses? I replied, "Yes." He said, "This is a thing Allah (SWT) has ordained for the daughters of Adam. So do what all the pilgrims do with the exception of Tawaf (Circumambulation) round the Ka’bah." ‘Aisha (RA), added, "Allah’s Messenger (SAW) sacrificed cows on behalf of his wives."

Pilgrims make dhikr and read Quran. There was no objection from the Prophet (SAW) and he (SAW) actually "told" Aisha (RA) to do so.

3. Another reason being hardship. A woman might forget what she memorized.

So therefore if there is no text forbidding such an act, one can not conclude that the act is not allowable. The burden of proof is on those who claim that such women can not recite the Quran, and they offer no clear or direct proof.

There is no harm whatsoever in a menstruating woman or post-partum bleeding woman reciting the Quran from their memory without actually touching the Quran.


Touching The Quran During Menstruation and Post-Partum Bleeding

The most often quoted evidences, is an Ayat from the Quran:

"…none can touch but those who are pure…" (Al-Waqi’a 56:79)

A common mistake, is people taking verses and applying it to a particular Fiqh (point). Yet when you study the verse in more detail you will find, in fact, it is not related to the point whatsoever.

"That (this) is indeed an honorable recital (the Noble Quran). In a Book well-guarded (with Allah in the heaven i.e. Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz). Which (that Book with Allah) none can touch but those who are pure from sins (i.e. the angels). A Revelation (this Quran) from the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists). (Al-Waqi’a 56:77-80)

Put into context this Ayat refers to "…a Book well-guarded," and this means a Book with Allah (SWT). It is not talking about the physical Quran we have in our presence here.

Ibn Abbas (RA) and others, along with the early scholars, agree that this verse is not talking about the Quran that we have in our hands. A Book well-guarded refers to something that is hidden (Maknoon). It is not referring to the Quran we have in our presence. Early scholars all agree to this conclusion.

"...In a Book well-guarded (with Allah in the heaven i.e. Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz)." (Al-Waqi’a 56:78)

According to the Tafsir of Tabari and Kathir and also according to Jamal al-deen al-Qasami, this Ayat is not in reference to humans having to be free from impurities.

"Which (that Book with Allah) none can touch but those who are pure from sins (i.e. the angels)." (Al-Waqi’a 56:79)

This verse in reference to the Angels and not mankind. In a Hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah (RA), the Prophet (SAW) states, "a believer never becomes impure."

"The Prophet (SAW) came across me in one of the streets of Medina and at that time I was Janab. So I slipped away from him and went to take a bath. On my return the Prophet said, "O Abu Hurairah! Where have you been?" I replied, "I was Janab, so I disliked to sit in your company." The Prophet said, "Subhan Allah! A believer never becomes impure." (Sahih Bukhari)

There are four possible meanings of Taher (pure) in this Hadith:

1. specifically it means "pure."
2. free from major impurity where it is necessary to make ghusl.
3. free from minor impurity where it is necessary to make wudu.
4. no impurities on physical body

What does Taher mean in this Hadith? How we determine what it means is we look at other evidences that relate.


Evidences

1. A letter sent to the Emperor of Rome by the Prophet (SAW). The Prophet (SAW) had good reason to believe that the Emperor would touch it. Some will argue that a piece of paper is not Quran so this may not be such a strong argument.

2. In Sahih Muslim the Hadith about when Aisha (RA) was sent, by The Prophet (SAW), to go into the Masjid to get a mat. The Prophet (SAW) said to Aisha (RA), "Menstruation is not in your hands." A woman’s touch can not be considered impure even while on menses.

"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said to me: Get me the mat from the mosque. I said: I am menstruating. Upon this he remarked: 'Your menstruation is not in your hands.'" (Sahih Muslim)

1. Hadith that states, "A believer does not become impure." A clear text by The Prophet (SAW). A believer is considered Taher under ALL circumstances. Therefore, believer in this Hadith means Taher. The only one who should touch the Quran is a believer (i.e. A Muslim).

2. Take the Ayat: "None can touch but those who are pure (Taher)." There is no record whatsoever of Prophet (SAW) telling believers not to touch Qu’ran.

Therefore, Taher means believer (Muslim).

There is NO evidence whatsoever that says that a woman who is on her period or a woman who is having post-natal bleeding that she can not touch the Quran. This is a minority opinion, however it is the strongest opinion.

A WOMAN WHO IS ON HER PERIOD MAY RECITE THE QURAN AND A WOMAN WHO IS ON HER PERIOD MAY EVEN TOUCH THE QURAN AND READ IT DIRECTLY FROM A MUSAF (ARABIC). THIS IS A MINORITY OPINION YET IT IS THE STRONGEST OPINION. There is no evidence to the contrary and the burden of evidence is upon those who say that such women are not allowed to touch or recite the Quran.

The scholars who say the Quran is forbidden to touch in the state of menses and post-partum bleeding, quote a weak Hadith which has in it’s chain a person declared a liar by the scholars of Hadith.

"Neither the menstruating woman nor the sexually defiled person is to recite anything from the Qu’ran."

Information from "Fiqh Rulings on Women’s Issues" a lecture

by Jamaal Al-Din Zarabozo


Reading the Quran During Menses

There is no prohibition from the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) prohibiting a woman from reading the Quran in the state of her menses.

There is no prohibition. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) did not prohibit it. All we have is the statement of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) that he used to recite the Quran under all conditions except when he was in a state of Janaba that is after having sexual intercourse when it was necessary for him to take a bath.

This is the basis, this is the foundation, from which all of these different opinions are derived. So, some scholars made a comparison between this state of Janaba with that of menses.

But of course, they are not the same because the state of Janaba you can remove by merely washing yourself. Taking a bath your state is over. Now you can now read the Quran. Whereas in the state of menses, a woman can not just wash herself then go and read. She is still in that state of menses.

If we are dealing now with the translation of the Quran, translations of the meanings of the Quran, then all this is of NO importance at all because translations of the Quran are not considered to be Quran. So no matter what state you are in, you can read it, you can pick it up, you can touch it, there is no problem at all because the Quran that we have, even if the Arabic text is there too, is still not considered Quran.

The general position which is held in determining what is considered Quran and what is not, is that whenever the words of other than Allah (SWT), in a given text, is more than the words of Allah (SWT), that text is no longer considered Quran because Quran refers to a single verse if we take a verse of Quran by itself this is called Quran also. But if there comes along with this verse, other words, you have given an explanation of it which is more than what constitutes the verse, then this is no longer considered Quran.

This is the juice from the fact, that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) sent messages to the kings of Bizantium and Persia, etc. which had verses of Quran in it. He (SAW) knew full well that these people were going to be in a state of Janaba, that they were kafr and that they would probably tear it up, maybe step on it or whatever.

So we know that it is permissible that once the words of Allah (SWT) are drowned out by the words of other than Allah (SWT), which is the case of the translations of the Quran, then in such case this is not considered to be Quran and as such it is perfectly allowable for a woman to read it under any state.

Information from "Duties of a Muslim Husband" a lecture by Shaikh Abu-Ameenah Bilal Phillips

[Umm Ahmed]

That is a great help Barak Allaah feek .