Can Those in Major Impurity or Menstruation Recite Quranic Verses for Protection?

Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa

Question

Is it permissible for someone in a state of major ritual impurity (junub) or a menstruating woman to recite the two protective suras (al-Mu‘awwidhatayn— al-Nas and al-Falaq), Ayat al-Kursi, and the morning and evening supplications with the intention of protection from the devil, for example?

Answer

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

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.

Major Ritual Impurity or Menstruation

It is not permissible for someone in a state of major ritual impurity (junub), a menstruating woman, or a woman in postnatal bleeding to recite any portion of the Quran, even a single verse or less, nor is it permissible to touch the Quran or any verse of it, whether in a state of fear or otherwise. This ruling is based on the Prophet’s (Allah bless him and give him peace) saying:

“Neither a menstruating woman nor a person in a state of major ritual impurity (junub) should recite anything from the Quran.” [Tirmidhi]

It is also based on Allah’s statement:

“…touched by none except the purified (angels).” [Quran, 56:79]

The Prophet’s (Allah bless him and give him peace) also said:

“None should touch the Quran except the purified.” [Malik]

Permissibility of Supplications and Remembrance

It is permissible for those in a state of major ritual impurity or menstruation to recite the morning and evening supplications with the intention of protection from the devil and for other reasons.

The jurists have explained that the reason it is not permissible for those in such states to recite the Quran is that they would be engaging with the Quran with a body part that must be purified (through ghusl). Even if such a person were to rinse their mouth with water, they still would not be allowed to recite the Quran because the state of impurity would not be lifted by that act alone. Similarly, washing the hands does not permit one to touch the Quran without achieving a state of ritual purity (tahara). [Sulayman hindi, al-Mu‘tasar al-Daruri ‘ala al-Quduri]

Looking at the Quran vs. Touching It

It is not disliked for a menstruating woman or a person in a state of major ritual impurity to look at the Quran, since there is no contact involved. However, they should not touch the paper, the written text, or the margins between the lines when turning the pages or reading. [Ibid.]

Reciting Quranic Phrases with Other Intentions

It is also permissible for those in such states to recite portions of the Quran that are less than a verse, as long as the intention is not recitation, such as saying “Alhamdulillah” with the intention of thanking Allah or saying “Bismilla” before eating. Menstruation and postnatal bleeding do not prevent the remembrance of Allah.

Additionally, it is permissible to recite Quranic verses with the intention of making a supplication (dua), such as the verse:

“Our Lord! Do not let our hearts deviate after you have guided us. Grant us Your mercy. You are indeed the Giver (of all bounties).” [Quran, 3:8] [Sarakhsi, al-Mabsut; ‘Ayni, Bada’i‘ al-Sana’i‘; al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya]

Supplications During Ritual Impurity

It is also not disliked for for a menstruating woman or someone in a state of major ritual impurity to recite the supplications found in the qunut prayer, such as:

“O Allah, we seek Your help, ask Your forgiveness, and believe in You. We do not disbelieve in You, and we renounce and forsake those who disobey You. O Allah, we worship You alone, pray and prostrate to You, and we strive towards You. We hope for Your mercy and fear Your punishment. Indeed, Your punishment will certainly reach the disbelievers.”

Or the supplication:

“O Allah, guide me with those whom You have guided, grant me well-being with those whom You have granted well-being, take me as a friend with those whom You have taken as a friend, bless me in what You have given, and protect me from the evil of what You have decreed. Indeed, You decree, and none can pass a decree on You. Indeed, he whom You befriend is not humiliated, and he whom You oppose is not honored. Blessed are You, our Lord, and exalted. To You is due all praise for what You have decreed.”

According to the Hanafi school: “It is not disliked to recite the qunut prayer according to the most authentic narration… and it is permissible for those in a state of major ritual impurity or menstruation to recite supplications and respond to the call to prayer (adhan) and similar acts.” [al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya]

Conclusion

Based on the above, it is permissible for someone in a state of major ritual impurity or menstruation to recite the morning and evening supplications with the intention of protection from the devil.

Scholars have also mentioned that it is permissible to spell out the Quran, such as a teacher instructing children. The teacher may teach the children a single word, pausing between words without reciting a full verse, as they are compelled to teach and cannot easily achieve a state of purity. [Sulayman Hindi, al-Mu‘tasar al-Daruri ‘ala al-Quduri; al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya]

The availability of modern devices like mobile phones and tablets makes it easier for Muslims to engage with the Quran, provided they follow the appropriate rulings, such as not touching the written text.

And Allah knows best.

May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.

[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa

Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.

He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.

He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.

Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.