Can I Recite the Quran in Menstruation and Janaba?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

A woman studies the rules of recitation of the Quran and recites it to her teacher. Can she recite it while menstruating and while being in a state of major ritual impurity (janaba)?

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

No, according to the Hanafi school, a ritual bath (ghusl) will never be valid if a woman is menstruating. [Haskafi, Dur al-Mukhtar]

The stoppage of menses is part of the conditions of validity for a ritual bath (ghusl). [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Thus, a woman won’t be able to remove her state of major ritual impurity (janaba) while menstruating.

The reason for this ruling is that the mere fact that a woman is menstruating puts her in a state of major ritual impurity. It is thus not conceivable to remove this state by performing a ritual bath as long as the invalidator of this same ritual bath (ie the menses) is still in effect. It is as if one is trying to perform wudu while urinating. This ritual bath and this wudu remain invalid as long as an invalidator is present. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

Allah, Most High, says:

“They ask you (O Prophet) about menstruation. Say, ‘Beware of its harm! So keep away, and do not have intercourse with your wives during their monthly cycles until they are purified. When they purify themselves, then you may approach them in the manner specified by Allah. Surely Allah loves those who always turn to Him in repentance and those who purify themselves.’” [Quran, 2:222]

The Maliki Dispensation

Scholars of the Maliki school allow for a menstruating woman to recite the Quran even in a state of Janaba.

Nonetheless, it is important to be aware and ponder on the following answer before doing so: A Menstruating Woman Reciting the Quran: The Maliki Position, Sticking to One School, and the Path of Taqwa

And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found. Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others. He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.