Yasir Qadhi – Ask Shaykh YQ #73 – Can A Woman Recite the Qur’an During Her Menses

			And today inshallah to Allah will begin with a question from sister Nadia from South Africa
Mashallah subotica law, she emails saying that she has been taught in from from her local minima
that she should not recite the Quran during her monthly cycle. Yet she says that she's logging
online and she's seeing fatawa from other scholars in other countries stating that women can recite
the Quran during the menses, and she says that she is memorizing the Quran. And sometimes her cycle
lasts for many, many days more than a week. And so, her memorization, and her review is cut off. So
she emails asking, Can you explain what are the positions of the scholars regarding reciting the
		

			Quran, do it for the lady during her monthly cycle.
		

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			out of seven,
		

			poverty in Asia. No he him first coo
		

			coo.
		

			Now this issue is one that we have to deal with with multiple factors. I want to begin by stating
that sister Nadia, you're emailing me saying that your local scholars are saying one thing. And my
general philosophy and position is that a Muslim should stick with the scholarly consensus within
one's own area. And that is the best thing to do. You don't want to rock the boat, it's not healthy
to have positions that are outside of, you know, completely unknown in your community as long as
their mainstream views you know, obviously and this position that you have been taught, it is a
valid and correct one, it is one that, in fact, the majority of scholars of the past and present
		

			have held. And it is true to say that it is the default position of three of the Sunday schools of
law. And therefore, if you wish to follow this position and stick with your communities or them and
that is great. And this position is the position of many of the Sahaba and have your own and that is
the following that during the monthly cycle, that a lady is also the man in the state of Geneva. So
it applies to the man instead of Geneva and the woman instead of Geneva and the woman in the state
of the month a monthly cycle that in all of that ruling is the same and that is that the majority
position is that it is not allowed to recite the Koran during that timeframe. And remember to me the
		

			the famous scholar of Hadith he writes in his book, The the Jamia, he writes that this position is
the position of the majority of the companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the
Tabby rune, meaning their students it is the position of soufiane authority of Nova Baraka Shafi,
Muhammad is half and they all said that the high yield or the lady in the menses and the junior of
the man in the state of Geneva should not recite the Quran, unless they recite a portion of it like
you know, do our up and it never do near Hashanah. So that much is allowed. And they allowed such a
lady and the man to do Vicar of a lot. And that's the end quote. So, uh, Timothy is stating that the
		

			majority position is that it is not allowed, unless they state a portion of the verse for the sake
of law for the sake of Baraka, but not as an act of worship, or is it the law of the Quran? And he
then says, but of course it is allowed to do Vicar Subhana, Allah Alhamdulillah Allah in the law do
as all of that is allowed, but the recitation of the Quran would not be allowed during that state.
Now, what is the main evidence that these rodella and the great scholars of the past have and
remember, this is the position of the majority of the oma, you have the humbly position, you have
the Hanafi position, you have the Shafi position, and it is also the explicit opinion of a number of
		

			companions and their students that have your own. What is the evidence that they use? Well, again,
I'll just quote you one or two evidences they will move on to the next position. The the most
authentic evidence they use. It is not quite explicit, and that's where the controversy comes the
most authentic, which isn't so hard. It's a very authentic idea. Nobody can deny that. It is the
authenticity nobody can deny. The meaning is where it comes a little bit great. Asia rodeo love wine
our mother, she narrates that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would lean into my room, my
chambers. Now pause here, what does she mean by this? So there was a wall between the masjid and
		

			between the the Prophet sallallahu it was Adams house that was directly connected to the masjid. And
if you put your hand outside of the wall, you would enter the house of the Prophet system. If you
put your hand outside the house, you would enter the water the masjid so the same wall on one side
of it was the house on the other side was the masjid of the Prophet of the Lord.
		

			While he was sitting with a small gap between and there are good diagrams online, replicating that
that house. And so if the profits are one to two when he was in the mosque, he could lean back in in
the state of etica. For example, when he's articulate, he could lean back in and lie down, half of
his body would be in the house and half of his body would be in the masjid. And so the Prophet I
showed the loved one has said that he would lean back into my house while I was in the state of
menstruation, and he would recite the Koran, he would recite the Quran while I was in my menses.
Now, where does this lead? Or how does one derive the prohibition to recite the Quran upon the lady
		

			in menses based upon this narration, so, some of the great scholars given to the other eight, the
famous chef or a scholar, he says that this Hadith, or this narration would not have any benefit to
derive from it, except if it was well known that the one who is menstruating, the lady who is
menstruating is not allowed to recite the Quran. And therefore, the the point of the narration comes
that it may be recited in front of her it may be recited in her presence. Otherwise, he is saying if
it was unknown, that ladies, you know, don't have to recite the Quran. What is the purpose of this
narration? And that's an interesting point here. Why would I should not be allowed to make this
		

			point of saying I was in my menses, he would recite the Quran, what is the point of that? So even
though it says the whole point of this is it is it was well known amongst the Sahaba that the women
would not recite the Quran during their timeframe their monthly cycle and our issues narration came
to prove that you may recite the Quran in her presence that the man may even lean on his wife like
the process of sometimes lean on and and lie down his head would be on the lap of the law. Why Now,
that doesn't mean anything you may do Vicar and recite the Quran, you may recite the Quran, even if
the lady cannot that is the position that the majority of scholars have derived from this narration.
		

			There is also another narration which is explicit, but it is not authentic. So in this chapter, the
chapter of women reciting Quran you have one Hadith that is authentic, but not quite explicit, you
have to derive it and then you have another heading that is not authentic, but it is explicit. And
this is the famous Hadith which all of the students of knowledge have studied. It is the Hadith that
had been remodeled the Allah one, that he said that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said
that the lady in menses and the man or woman in the state of Geneva should not recite anything from
the Koran. And this hadith is explicit. Absolutely. It is reported in as soon as they've been major,
		

			however, pretty much by unanimous consensus of all the scholars of Hadith and why this is the case
is beyond the scope of our brief lecture, but basically, everybody in my Muhammadu Buhari himself
didn't maybe himself they have they even know Josie or Toby and never we have been Tamia on and on
the list goes on and on up until our times you have invited all of them. And Chanel, Bonnie, they
all considered this narration to be weak because it has a well known weakness. Everybody knows if
even the most basic student of knowledge will know that because of a particular narrator. This
narration is not authentic. And it is well known that in our shared era, we do not pass rulings
		

			based upon inauthentic narrations. Therefore, putting these two together, this is their main portion
of evidence that there is a hadith and Bahati that seems to indicate this. And then there is a
hydrated imager that is explicit about this point. And as I said, this is the position of the
majority of the scholars now I said there's a dissenting opinion. What is the dissenting opinion?
Well, the famous position of the Maliki School of Law, that's the fourth and the final school, the
Maliki School of Law. And also, there is a fifth school called the ball Hades or the literalist. And
also you have some of the earlier opinions of Michelle fairy Mohammed, it is narrated from him in a
		

			opinion that is not the more well known or accepted one. It is also the position of some of the
earlier schools of law that are now defunct, such as the poverty School of Law in mama poverty
evangelina nobody had a school of law. It is also the position of urban Tamia who argued very
explicitly for this. I am his student very clear in his arguments as well. My own teacher even are
thinking aloud Hmong, and also the permanent Council of senior scholars of Saudi Arabia. And
generally they are humbly in mantap. But in this issue, they broke away from them from the
mainstream position, and they allowed the lady in her menses to recite the Koran, and what is their
		

			primary evidence? Their primary evidence is to summarize what Yvan Tamia says in his fatawa had been
to me It says that during the life of the Prophet sallallahu, I said we didn't during the era of the
revelation of the Quran, all of the ladies were on
		

			Obviously menstruating. And yet despite that fact, there is nothing explicit and that is authentic
in this regard. And therefore, if this was something that would have been forbidden, you would have
found multiple a Hadith, you would have found it to be something well known and narrated the fact
that we have to derive it from an exquisite Hadith. And that the only from a sorry, we have to
derive it from an authentic hadith is not it's not explicit, and that as for the plight of Hadith,
by unanimous consensus of all the schools of law, we do not base our rulings or our theology on a
statement that is not authentically attributed to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And so
		

			the position of this other school or the other scholars is that enabled him he elaborates on this
quite a lot as well, it will play him says that, essentially, I'm paraphrasing, so don't quote me
exactly, but I'm paraphrasing. He's saying that it's really not appropriate for the lady to abandon
the Koran for so long. And she should also be reciting and perhaps, if she doesn't recite during
this long timeframe, she will forget what she's memorized or her routine and habits will be broken.
So on what basis are we going to deny her an action of worship, that is not explicitly forbidden in
any authentic hadith and of course, it's not forbidden in the Quran itself. So this is the position
		

			of even taymiyah don't play him and and others that it is allowed for the lady in the menses to
recite the Quran, especially even more. So if she is memorizing, or she is having a routine and she
doesn't want to break the routine, or she is reviewing what she has memorized. Now, these are the
two positions out there. Me personally, in this issue alone knows best I am very, very sympathetic
to the default majority position. And I and you are saying that your own community and society is
accustomed to a position. So if you're able to then stick with that position, nonetheless, if you
choose to follow based upon what I've just said, that isn't a me and so many great dilemma, they
		

			have allowed this based upon their understanding of the evidence is and you feel this is where I'll
make an exception. If you feel that staying away from the origin for such a long period of time will
impact your memorization will impact your spirituality in this case, I have no hesitation in saying
that you may follow the other opinion, because it's not a minority position in the sense that what I
mean, it's not something that is extremely unknown. It is one of the major schools of law, it is
some of the giants of our religion. So it's not an obscure I should say. I mean, in the grand scheme
of things, it is a minority, but it's not an obscure there is a difference. So obscure is Shas,
		

			which means is very minority, very small group and minority and majority as we know, this is this
would be three schools here, one school there. But the point is that one of the schools of law
allows this along with many of the Giants, along with many modern scholars who, when they look at
the evidence is they feel that, that perhaps some of the earliest scholars they they simply out of
you know that the fact that the lady should not recite or should not pray Salah, so they made an
extrapolation, she should not be a Quran. There's no explicit Hadith in this regard. Now, that
having been said, so my personal opinion to be very explicit, is that if you're able to stick with
		

			the majority, they seem to have a good basis, because in the end of the day, why would I show the
Allahu anhu say what you saying, unless it was something that was understood, I'm sympathetic to
that. Nonetheless, I'm also sympathetic to him and say me, and they'll play him when they say this
isn't good enough that the evidence is obscure, and ambiguous is a better term not obscure. And the
fact that so many of the, you know, there are no narrations, despite the fact that half the society
or more is female, and there's no explicit authentic narrations. And so why prohibit somebody from
doing something that will make them closer to Allah. So again, my position is, don't obviously if
		

			you're a Maliki, then no problem. You're following your school. If you are one of the other three
schools, stick with your schools, if you're able to, that's the best thing to do. However, if you
genuinely feel it's going to be something that will be detrimental. Because I've memorized the
Quran, I know what it is when you're in the mood when you're doing every day, and then you stop I
remember Subhanallah when I was memorizing the Quran, if I went on a journey for a day or two and I
stopped my memorization, it would impact me it would impact the swiftness of my memorization would
impact my Maharaja, am I making you know my reviewing and so obviously you're saying you your
		

			menstruation is longer than a week I mean, maybe 10 days let's say so one third of the month and so
only 20 days you're memorizing 10 days you're not your whole routine is messed up. If that is the
case, then if you choose to follow the other position, don't make a big deal. Don't tell your
community don't cause any commotion. You know, in your private life No problem. We may follow the
federal I live in a me and these major scholars, if you feel that it will be better for your email.
Now that having been said before I move on to the next question. This was about the Tila, one of the
Quran or the
		

			memorization of the Quran, it was not about touching the most half, that is a separate action and
touching the most half is a higher category because even a man or a woman who does not have will do
cannot touch the most half forget about Judo and menstruation, even a man or a woman, it's equal
here doesn't matter. If you don't have will do, you cannot touch a copy of the must have. And this
is the explicit position of all of the Sahaba who have an opinion on this issue. There is no
dissenting voice amongst the Sahaba. And it is the position of all of the schools, the four schools
of law, and there are over 20 of the earliest scholars of Islam that we don't even know a single
		

			person who went against them in the earliest time of Islam. And, and it is something that is well
known that this was their position. It is narrated that segment of the Pharisees are the loved one
the Sahaba of the Prophet sallallahu, alayhi wasallam, that the group of people were traveling with
him, and he went to relieve himself, and then he came back. And then his students said that Oh,
yeah, nice, respected chef or teacher, can you do we'll do we want to ask you a tough scene of a
verse. Okay. So the Sahaba, the students of Selma, and Farsi requested that, you know, we want to
talk about the Tafseer of a verse, so can you please do a little segment of Farsi, the famous Sahaba
		

			he said, go ahead and ask me, I am not going to touch the Koran. When you touch the Koran you need
to have whoodle. So he explicitly said this. And there is a hadith of course, that is authentic in
this regard reported by a Buddha, then we'll say that Mr. Mohammed and others that are prophets in
the law, it was seldom said that none should touch the Koran, except if they are pure. And when the
Quran or sooner uses law here, they mean pure in the technical sense, meaning the sense of having
done will do lie muscle or Ana Illa law here, this is an explicit Hadith, none should touch the
Koran, except if they have to harder and harder here clearly means the issue of having will do when
		

			you touch the Muslim. Therefore, if you wish to memorize and you're in your monthly cycle, in this
case, you should not physically touch your hand to the most half, you have a number of options.
Either you can use a computer screen and your mouse and you are not touching the last time if you do
that, or you use an iPad or iPhone and use some type of you know, instrument or rubber pen or
something to go over it. Or if you have no other option, except that you have a physical copy of the
must have. In this case, you will wear a glove just like if I don't have Google and I wanted to
touch the Quran, I would put some covering and that is why in our culture, it is very common for the
		

			most have to have a covering because you don't need to have to touch the covering. And that's the
reason why in our cultures and so many cultures, the Quran has a covering that in case you need to
pull it down in case you need to move it from place a to place B that covering will do the job
therefore bottom line in your monthly timeframe.
		

			If you need to if there's a reason to you may follow the minority position and recite or memorize
the Quran. However, in that timeframe, you cannot touch the most half. You must use either a third
party mechanism let's call it which is like a computer screen. Or you may use an actual copy but you
do not touch it. Use a glove or use a pencil to move it of course you can see no problem but you
cannot use your bare hands to touch the sacred book and this applies to men and women who don't have
will do because we respect the Quran as the book of Allah subhana wa Tada. So this is the answer to
the first question.