Prohibition of Reciting the Qur'an in Menstruation & Nifas

[ummtaalib]

Hanafifiqh.net

 

Question

Can a lady who is in her menstrual cycle read The Holy Quran?

 

Answer

It is not permissible for a female to recite the Quran during her monthly Menses and during nifaas (bleeding after birth). She should recite the Quran after the completion of her monthly cycle.

 

 

 

Darul Ifta Darul Uloom Deoband

 

Question: 31448

In the times of Menses(periods) lady can recite Quran Shareef with touching or not touching it? And can read or recite any islamic book, wazifa, dua or any surah in the book with touching or not touching it? Request for prayers Jazak Allah

 

 Answer: 31448

 May 02,2011

(Fatwa: 749/264/TL=1432)

 

It is absolutely prohibited to recite the Quran while in menstruation whether the Quran is recited by carrying in hands or verbally. A menstruating woman can touch Islamic books, read as well as read out for others. She even can read a wazifa or dua written therein, but she will have to avoid reciting the Quranic verses only. Yes, if the Quranic verses are recited as dua, it is also allowable.

 

Allah (Subhana Wa Ta'ala) knows Best

 

 

 

 

Question

There are so different interpretations about Quran recitation and hearing during menstruation and after child delivery. Can we listen to Quran (CD) during this period or read in a translated version (with or without Arabic text) ? What about recitation? Some say it is completely forbidden. But what about reading Surats of protection before sleeping with small children if nobody else is available? Or for oneself before sleeping or situations of fear, pain, illness etc. What during e.g depression/worries when at least listening is a great relief?

 

Answer

A woman is prohibited from reading and touching the Quran during Haydh and Nifas. She is not prohibited from listening to the Quran.

It is permissible for her to read the Quran as a means of protection as long as her intention is for protection and not for recitation.

 

 

When teaching your children, it will be permissible for you to read half of the Aya or less than that.

 

 

( قوله وقراءة قرآن ) أي ولو دون آية من المركبات لا المفردات ؛ لأنه جوز للحائض المعلمة تعليمه كلمة كلمة كما قدمناه وكالقرآن التوراة والإنجيل والزبور كما قدمه المصنف ( قوله بقصده ) فلو قرأت الفاتحة على وجه الدعاء أو شيئا من الآيات التي فيها معنى الدعاء ولم ترد القراءة لا بأس به كما قدمناه عن العيون لأبي الليث وأن مفهومه أن ما ليس فيه معنى الدعاء كسورة أبي لهب لا يؤثر فيه قصد غير القرآنية ( قوله ومسه ) أي القرآن ولو في لوح أو درهم أو حائط ، لكن لا يمنع إلا من مس المكتوب ، بخلاف المصحف فلا يجوز مس الجلد وموضع البياض منه .

وقال بعضهم : يجوز ، وهذا أقرب إلى القياس ، والمنع أقرب إلى التعظيم كما في البحر : أي والصحيح المنع كما نذكره ومثل القرآن سائر الكتب السماوية كما قدمناه عن القهستاني وغيره وفي التفسير والكتب الشرعية خلاف مر ( قوله إلا بغلافه المنفصل ) أي كالجراب والخريطة دون المتصل كالجلد المشرز هو الصحيح وعليه الفتوى ؛ لأن الجلد تبع له سراج ، وقدمنا أن الخريطة الكيس .

( والنفاس )… وحكمه كالحيض في كل شيء إلا في سبعة

(ردالمحتار، 1293-299، سعيد)

 

 

ومنها حرمة قراءة القرآن لا تقرأ الحائض والنفساء والجنب شيئا من القرآن والآية وما دونها سواء في التحريم على الأصح إلا أن لا يقصد بما دون الآية القراءة مثل أن يقول الحمد لله يريد الشكر أو بسم الله عند الأكل أو غيره فإنه لا بأس به هكذا في الجوهرة النيرة ولا تحرم قراءة آية قصيرة تجري على اللسان عند الكلام كقوله تعالى ثم نظر خطأ 1 ولم يولد خطأ 1 هكذا في الخلاصة

ومنها حرمة مس المصحف لا يجوز لهما وللجنب والمحدث مس  المصحف إلا بغلاف متجاف عنه كالخريطة والجلد الغير المشرز لا بما هو متصل به هو الصحيح هكذا في الهداية وعليه الفتوى كذا في الجوهرة النيرة والصحيح منع مس حواشي المصحف والبياض الذي لا كتابة عليه هكذا في التبيين

(الفتاوى لهندية، 143، علمية)

 

 

And Allah knows best

Wassalamu Alaikum

Ml. Sajid bin Shabbir,

Student Darul Iftaa

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In’aamiyyah

 

 

 

Imam An-Nawawi stated in his Tibyan,

 

“It is unlawful for a person in a state of major ritual impurity or during menstruation to recite the Qur’an, whether it is a verse or even less. It is permissible for them to [silently] peruse the Quran in their hearts without uttering it, and to look in the actual written text of the Qur’an [mushaf] and go over it in the heart.”

(Ettiquette with the Qur’an translated by Musa Furber published by Starlatch press)

[ummtaalib]

Regarding the prohibition of reciting a portion of the Qur'an for the menstruating woman

 

'Abdullah ibn 'Umar relates that Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallamsaid, "A menstruating women or a seminally defiled person should not recite any part of the Qur'an. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Sunan al-Bayhaqi) 

 

There are also other hadiths transmitted by Imam Daraqutni, Tirmidhi,Nasa'i, Ibn Maja, Abu Dawud, Ibn Hibban, Hakim and others in this regard (SeeNasb al-Raya].

 

Shaykh (Mufti) Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera (HA)

Taken from here

[ummtaalib]

Reciting Quran during menstruation

According to the Majority of Scholars

 

Q. A salafi girl said that you can recite Quran Shareef during menstruation while looking into it and not by memory. I know that this is haraam for hanafis. What is the stand of the four imams on this, and how do I prove to her that she is wrong?

 

A. Reciting Quran while looking into it is also deemed to be ‘reciting Quran’, even if it is not from memory. This act of reciting Quran during one’s menses is not allowed according to the majority of scholars, the verdicts are as follows: –

 

• Imam Abu Hanifa has considered it to be unlawful (Hidaya; Fathul Qadeer vol.1 pg. 148).
• Imam Shafi has considered it to be haram and unlawful. This is also the opinion of the great scholars from the Sahabahs and Tabieen like Umar (RA), Ali (RA), Jabir (RA), Hasan Basri, Qatada, Ata, Abul Aaliya, An Nakhi, Saeed bin Jubair, Zuhri, Ishaq and Abu Thaur. (Al Majmoo Sharhul Muhazab vol. 3 pg.282).

 

With respect to the opinion of Imam Ahmad, Imam Tirmizi has recorded him from among those who state that a woman in menses should not recite the Holy Quran, (Tirmizi Chap. ‘What is mentioned about a woman in menses and on in Janabah (major ritual impurity) should not recite the Quran)’.

 

Imam An Nawawi has also stated that one of the opinions of Imam Ahmad and Imam Malik is that it is unlawful(haram) for a woman in menses to recite Quran. (Al Majmoo Sharhul Muhazab vol. 3 pg.282).

 

In Al Mughni, Ibn Qudama has mentioned that the established Mazhab of Imam Ahmad is that a woman in her menses is prohibited from reciting Al Quran. (Al Mughni vol.1 pg144).

 

There is an established opinion of Imam Malik which states that he is of the opinion that a woman in menses can recite the Quran. His evidence for this is that ‘the days of her menses may be long, and prohibiting her from reciting the Quran may cause her to forget it. She is also excused and may have the need to recite the Quran but is incapable of acquiring purity (due to her state)’.

 

From this explaination, we see that from among the four great Imams of Fiqh, only Imam Malik has given an allowance for the menstruating woman to recite Quran. All the others have ruled that she is prohibited from doing so. The evidence for these scholars is a tradition of the Prophet (SAS) which has been recorded by Imam Trimizi, from the tradition of Abdullah bin Umar (RA). This tradition states that Ibn Umar said, ‘the Prophet (SAS) said a woman in menses and a person in Janabah must not read anything from the Quran’. (Tirmizi, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah).

 

Having recorded this tradition, Imam Tirmizi said, ‘This is the statement of most of the scholars from the companions of the Prophet (SAS), the Tabi’een and those after them like Sufyan Thauri, Abdullah bin Mubarak, Imam Shafi, Imam Ahmad, Ishaq’. (Tirmizi Chap. ‘A woman in menses and person in Janabah (major impurity) must not read the Quran).

 

Although some scholars have considered the above tradition to be weak on account of one of its narrators Isma’eel bin Ayaash, those who have mentioned prohibition have referred to the tradition in which it is clearly evident that a person who is in the state of Janabah (major ritual impurity ) must not read the Quran. In this regard, the tradition of Ali (RA) has been quoted, which states that Ali (R.A.) said ‘The Messenger of Allah (SAS) would recite Quran to us in all states except when he was in Janabah (major ritual impurity being in the state of sexual pollution) (Imam Tirmizi recorded this and then said, ‘This hadith is good and sound  Chapter-A man can recite Quran in all states except in the state of Janabah. Ibn Hibban has also considered it to be Saheeh (sound)). Hakim has also considered it Saheeh (sound). Abu Dawood, Nasai and Ibn Majah have also recorded it (Tuhfatul Ahwazi vol.1 pg.476)

 

While commenting on the above hadith, Ibn Qudama states, ‘When this (the prohibition to recite Quran  ) is given for one who is in the state of Janabah (ritual impurity after sexual relations) then to a greater extent, it will be given for a woman who is in her menses, since her state of impurity is graver and more major than one who is in the state of sexual pollution. It is on account of the serious/grave nature of her state (menses), sexual relations is totally haram, fasting is prohibited and Salaah has been excused.( Al Mughni vol.1 pg.144).

 

With respect to the opinion that states that she is allowed to recite Quran since the long duration of menses can cause her to forget the Quran, Imam Nawawi has refuted this and has said, ‘As for the fear of forgetting the Quran, this is rare, since the duration of menses is approximately six or seven days, and a woman does not normally forget in this time.  ( Al Majmoo Sharhul Muhazzab vol. 3 pg.283 ).

 

The summary of this discussion is that the majority of scholars from the Sahabahs and those afterwards, have all stated that a woman in her menses must not recite the Holy Quran. Some scholars have differentiated between ‘a woman in menses’ and ‘one who is in the state of Janabah’. However, the majority of scholars have considered the both to be on the same level of impurity, and reciting the Holy Quran will be prohibited for both. Ibn Qudama has made this very clear in his book ‘Al Mughni’ (vol. 1 pg.144)

 

Imam Nawawi has also clearly stated that ‘the Jumhoor (majority of scholars) have taken their evidence from the riwayah (tradition) of Abdullah bin Umar (RA). Even if this is accepted to be weak, one must draw analogy upon the person in the state of Janabah’. ( Al Majmoo Sharah Al Muhazzab vol.3 pg.283).

 

Some scholars have also spoken about the tradition of ‘the prohibition for a person in Janabah to recite Al Quran’. Regarding the different statement of scholars regarding the status of this tradition, the author of Tuhfatul Ahwazi (Commentary of Jami At Tirmizi) states, ‘there are a few traditions which speak about the prohibition of reciting Quran by one in the state of Janabah. In all of them, there may be contention, however, they become strong when they are attached to each other (that is, when some are supported by others). All together, they become sound (and authentic), so that evidence/proof be taken from them’. (Tuhfatul Ahwazi vol.1 pg.428)

 

So, like other individual Mas’alas, it seems (from narrations) that a few scholars in the past have adopted the opinion that a menstruating woman can recite the Quran. However, as recorded by Imam Tirmizi, ‘Most of the scholars from the Sahabahs, Tabi’ee, and those after them have clearly stated that a woman in menses must not recite the Quran’ (Tirmizi) Imam An Nawawi has also stated that ‘the majority (Jumhoor) of the scholars have adopted this verdict. (Al Majmoo)


And Allah knows best.

Mufti Waseem Khan

Source

[ummtaalib]

Female reciting Quran during her menstruation period

According to the four Madhaahib

 

Question:

I have heard that a female is allowed to recite Qurān during her monthly menses according to the most authentic of scholarly opinions? Is this true?

 

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

 

According to the mainstream (majority) opinion, a female is not allowed to verbally recite Qurān during her menses. This is the ruling in accordance with Hanafī Jurisprudence (Fiqh), Shāfiī Jurisprudence (Fiqh), and Hambalī (Fiqh) Jurisprudence.[1] Consider the following texts:

 

Hanafī Jurisprudence

 

Allāmah Sarakhsī, a well known early Hanafī Jurist of the 5^th century states the following in his celebrated Jurisprudic Manual named “al-Mabsūt”:

 

وَمِنْهَا أَنَّهَا لَا تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ  (المبسوط للسرخسى، فَصْلٌ الْأَحْكَامُ الَّتِي تَتَعَلَّقُ بِالْحَيْضِ)

Among the rulings pertaining to menstruation is that a female is not permitted to recite Qurān during her menses. (al-Mabsūt)

 

Allāmah Marghīnānī Rahimahullāh, a well-known Hanafī Jurist (Faqīh) of the 6^th century states:

وليس للحائض والجنب والنفساء قراءة القرآن لقوله صلى الله عليه وسلم ” لا تقرأ الحائض والجنب شيئا من القرآن “ (الهداية، باب الحيض والاستحاضة)

It is not permissible for a female experiencing Haidh (menstruation), a female experiencing Nifās, and an impure person to recite Qurān. This is so because Rasūlullāh Sallallāhu Alaihi Wa Sallam has stated, “A female in her menses and an impure person must not recite any Qurān. (al-Hidāyah)

 

Shāfiī Jurisprudence

 

Allāmah Shīrāzī Rahimahullāh, a Faqīh of the 5^th century states the following regarding the issue according to Shafiī Jurisprudence:

وحرم عليها الصوم والطواف وقراءة القرآن (التنبية في الفقه الشافعي،باب الحيض)

A female is prohibited from fasting, Tawāf, and recitation of Qurān during her menses. (at-Tambīh)

 

Hambalī Jurisprudence

 

Allāmah Bahūtī, a Hambalī Faqīh of the 11^th century states the following in his commentary on Zād al-Mustaqnī:
(ومن لزمه الغسل) لشيء مما تقدم (حرم عليه) الصلاة والطواف ومس المصحف و (قراءة القرآن) (الروض المربع شرح زاد المستقنع، باب الغسل)

It is prohibited to perform Salāh, perform Tawāf, touch the Qurān, and recite the Qurān for everyone in need of a Ghusl (such as a female experiencing menstruation) (ar-Rawdh al-Murbī)

 

 

~~~~

 

 

It is important to note that it is necessary for every individual to learn the basic laws and injunctions of Dīn in accordance with any one Madhab (Jurisprudic School of thought). Thereafter, he/she must adhere to that particular Madhab and must not jump from Madhab to Madhab.

 

Kindly refer to the following write-up on the importance of adhering to one Madhab:

 

At the outset, it is important to understand that all four Madhāhib (schools of thought) are on Haqq (the truth). If any individual adheres sincerely to any of the four Madhāhib (Hanafī, Shāfi’ī, Mālikī, and Hambalī), he will be following the right path.

 

After the era of Rasūlullāh Sallallāhu Alaihi Wa Sallam and the Sahābah there was a need to codify Islāmic Fiqh (Jurisprudence). There were many chosen servants of Allāh Ta’ālā who were qualified in the field of Ijtihād i.e. to extract laws directly from Qurān and Hadīth. Among them were the four Imāms, namely Imām Abū Hanīfah, Imām Shāfi’ī, Imām Mālik, and Imām Ahmad bin Hambal Rahimahumullāh. It was the will of Allāh that the Madhāhib of these four great individuals were preserved and passed down from generation to generation. Even today, there are followers of all four schools of thought present in the world.

 

Even though all four schools of thought are genuine, the Ulamā have ruled that it is necessary for a layman to stick to the teachings of one Madhab. The reasons for this are elaborated hereunder:

 

• It is prohibited to follow one’s desires
• Each Madhab is based on certain principles

 

Man has been created for the worship of Allāh and to submit to the will of Almighty Allāh and obey His commands. The Qurān has explicitly prohibited Insān from following his baseless desires. If a layman were to choose between the rulings of the various Madhāhib without expertise in Sharīah knowledge, his criterion to determine which ruling to follow would inevitably be his internal desires. Whichever Madhab he would find to be easier and more accommodating, he would hold on tightly to that view. And in another issue if another Madhab would be more lenient, he would jump to that particular Madhab. With such an attitude, the Dīn of Allāh would become a mere play and game that would be followed by people who are in search of fulfilling their desires rather than sacrificing their desires for Allāh Ta’ālā.

 

Based on this attitude of jumping from Madhab to Madhab, at times one reaches a conclusion that contradicts all scholars and all four Madhabs. This would result in a new and separate Madhab created by himself without having adequate knowledge of Dīn.

 

For example, in the Hanafī Madhab, bleeding nullifies Wudhū while it does not nullify Wudhū according to the Shāfi’ī Madhab. On the other hand, touching a female nullifies Wudhū according to the Shāfi’ī Madhab while it does not nullify Wudhū according to the Hanafī Madhab (even though it is prohibited if one touches a non-Mahram female).

 

Hence, if an individual starts to bleed and chooses to follow the Shāfi’ī view in this regards, his Wudhū is intact. If the same individual touches a female immediately after bleeding, and he chooses to follow the Hanafī stance on this issue, then according to his understanding his Wudhū is still intact. However, in such a scenario, according to both the Hanafī Madhab and Shāfi’ī Madhab the Wudhū of such a person is nullified (Hanafīs due to bleeding and Shāfi’īs due to touching a female), while his Wudhū is still intact according to his own understanding.[2]

 

Another reason why it is necessary to follow one particular Madhab is because the system of each Madhab is based on certain broad principles. Various Juristic rulings flow from these broad principles. Hence, the laws and Masāil of one Madhab are inter-connected in that they flow from the same broad principles. If one was to pick and choose which Madhab to follow for different situations, then he would be causing disruption in the system of principles laid out by the Jurists.[3]

 

Lastly, it is important to note at this juncture that a person who follows a Madhab is in actual fact following the teachings of Rasūlullāh Sallallāhu Alaihi Wa Sallam. He is not following the teachings of the Madhāhib so to say, rather he is following Rasūlullāh Sallallāhu Alaihi Wa Sallam the way it was understood by the Madhab. This is similar to a layman seeking religious advice from a scholar. No one would claim that the man is following the scholar himself, rather he is following the way Dīn was understood and explained by the scholaar.

 

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

(Mufti) Abdul Azeem bin Abdur Rahman

Source

[ummtaalib]

Taking Dispensation from another Madhab

 

Can a Hanafi Student Memorizing the Qur’an follow the Maliki School & Recite during Menstruation?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

 

In this particular Girl Qur’an school, where we memorize the Qur’an, teachers allow us to read and memorize the Qur’an while one has her menstrual period. And they base their permission by saying that Imam Malik issued a fatwa, giving permission for a woman to read Qur’an while having her menstrual period. Since our school is in majority “Hanafi” (only 1 or 2 students are Shafii) , and in our madhab we may practice a ruling from another madhab, even without a reason, our teachers say it is valid to follow Imam Malik in his istihad, especially since these girls are trying to memorize the Qur’an in it’s entirety, and some may have long (in days) menstrual periods, which may cause them to forgot what they have memorized because of the large amount of time in between. Though these girls read and memorize the Qur’an during their periods, they hold the Qur’an with a towel, or clothe, where as Imam Malik also gave permission to hold AND read Qur’an in this state.

 

When I asked if I could make amel according to Rasulullah sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam’s hadith, on behalf of not reading the Qur’an during my period, they told me I was making FITNAH amongst them. They asked if I thought I was more ehl-i Takwa than Imam Malik, for not wanting to follow him, and I said, surely not, but that I would like to follow Rasulullah, for Allah says:

 

“Verily in the messenger of Allah ye have a good example for him who looketh unto Allah and the Last Day, and remembereth Allah much.” (Al-Ahzaab 33:21)

What is the ruling on reading Qur’an during this state? Currently my school now leaves the decision to the student whether to read or not, and I want to know the full fatwa on this topic, to do what is right. I have read many other articles on this issue, but never specifically have I come across a fatwa “for girl students that are studying hifz”, as my teachers put it.

 

 

Answer:

Walaikum assalam,

 

This is a matter of personal choice, at the end of the day. The scholars generally have two ways of dealing with the issue of following another madhhab than one’s own:

 

1. It is permitted to do so, but without making it a habit to always “seek out” dispensations;

2. One may not do so without a genuine hardship and need, for otherwise it is “following one’s whims,” which the Shariah has interdicted.

 

Generally, my Syrian Hanafi teachers took the former position, though the Indian and Pakistani scholars are firm on the second position. They are both valid ‘ways’ of acting. One should stick to the second way, though, as much as possible, for it is the way of taqwa. (This is something that everyone would agree on.)

 

The scholars of the sunni way agree, though, that the four schools, are all valid to follow, and each represents a sound operationalization of the Qur’an and Sunna, based on the interpretative principles laid down by its mujtahids. As such, a person who follows a position of any one of the four schools cannot be considered to be “going against” the Qur’an or Sunna. A well-versed scholar who understands the primary texts, fiqh, and usul, may disagree with another school, but the agreed-upon principle of sunni fuqaha is: “My position is correct with the possibility of being wrong. The position of others is wrong, with the possibility of being right,” because such differences only arose because of the probabilistic nature of the primary evidences.

 

In the case you mention, it is true that what they mentioned is the position of Imam Malik (Allah be pleased with him), though the majority of the mujtahid imams, including Abu Hanifa and his students, did not agree, because of the primary evidence that points to the contrary. (The Malikis were aware of this evidence, but understood it differently.)

 

Therefore, according to the first understanding (above), you could follow it and there would be nothing wrong with it. Just beware of making it a habit to seek out dispensations, and beware of those who have a habit of handing out fatwas from different schools: it is hard enough for true fuqaha to master one school, let alone four (or more). I specifically asked Shaykh Hassaan al-Hindi, in Damascus, about a sister taking the Maliki dispensation on this issue, and he said that there is nothing wrong with it. I asked, “Sidi, but what if she wants to stick to her madhhab?” He said, “Well, that is her choice.”

 

However, if you don’t feel comfortable or prefer to stick to the second approach, this is being cautious in religion. Just beware, though, of not creating fitna or ‘discussing’ with teachers or students why you are not reciting…

 

This was something posted a while back on the Hanafi fiqh list:

 

Sticking to One School

It is not religiously binding on the Muslim to stick to one school on all matters, without exception, as both al-Tahtawi and Ibn Abidin (Allah have mercy on them), the two leading late authorities for fatwa in the Hanafi school, both explain. Rather, there is nothing wrong with taking a dispensation if there is a need; what is impermissible is to make it a habit to seek out dispensations [i.e. even if there is no hardship or need].

 

The Path of Taqwa

The path of taqwa, as the scholars and sufis explain, is to avoid taking dispensations unless there is genuine hardship in following one’s own school. In fact, they say that those who have learned their own school should seek out the strictest positions from other school whenever reasonably possible, so that one’s worship and practice is sound without argument.

 

May Allah grant us beneficial knowledge, and the success to act according to it, on the footsteps of the His Beloved (Allah bless him and give him peace), with the secret of sincerity, without which actions are but lifeless forms.

 

And Allah knows best.

Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani

Qibla.com

Source

[ummtaalib]

How Do You Keep Up The Memorization Of The Quran During Menstruation

 

Question:

If one is memorizing the Quran, how do you keep up the memorization process during menstruation?

 

 Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

 

In principle, it is not permissible for a woman in the state of Haidh(menstruation) to recite the Qur’an. However, you may consider the following options in order to keep up the memorization of the Qur’aan:

 

1. Looking inside the Qur’an without reading the Qur’aan or touching the Qur’an.

2. Listening to someone reading the Qur’aan.

 

It is hoped that the above methods will assist you in keeping up the memorization process.

 

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

 

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.