Menstruating Women Reading The Quran
Praise be to Allah.
After series of wide consultations, I wish to put this piece in respect of menstruating lady/women reciting Quran either orally or by using the mushaf (the book) or using mobile phone or computer to read Quran. Because I see it to be the most correct of opinion with evidences below.
Before we begin with the evidence in this case, three points must be made clear
1- Reciting of the Quran orally i.e. not from the Mushaf.
2- The touching of the Mushaf and reading Quran from it, and
3- The carrying of laptops or mobile phones that contain Quran application and reading from it.
As for the first and second, which is the rule of reciting Quran orally or reading from mushaf (book) by the menstruating woman/lady, it is an issue of dispute between scholars. Some say it is forbidden while others allow it.
Those that say it's forbidden to; for a menstruating woman/lady to recite Quran orally or from the book, Extracted their proof from the hadith narrated by Ali (RA) that the Prophet (saw) used to teach the Qur’an and he never prevented anyone from learning it except those who were in a state of janabah (post sexual impurity). [Reported by Abu Dawood 281, Tirmidhi 146, An-Nisaa’i 144 and others.]
Based on the above narration they compared the woman in menstruation to the person in the state of janabah and derived the ruling that it is not permissible for her to read Qur’an during her menses.
They also based their opinion on a hadith narrated by Ibn "Umar that the Prophet (saw) said, “The menstruating woman and the one who is in a state of impurity (janabah) should not recite anything of the Qur’an.” [Reported by Tirmidhi, 131; Ibn Maajah, 595; al-Daaraqutni 117; al-Bayhaqi, 89.]
However, this hadith is verified not authentic according to the scholars of hadith.
Since there is no authentic evidence to prove that menstruating woman cannot read Qur’an; and the analogy between the menstruating woman and the person who is in a state of janabah cannot be used. Because an individual in a state of janabah can take ghusl and read Qur’an whenever he/she wants but a woman in menses has to wait for a longer period of time. therefore scholars such as Ibn Taymiyah, Al-Shawkani, Sh. Abdullah ibn Baaz and many other have allowed women in menses to read Qur’an from mushaf if they wear gloves as it is not permitted to touch the Qur’an without ablution.
Therefore, a lady/woman in menses can go to madrasah, to learn Quran or revise verses learnt if she feels she may forget if not revised. She may also read from what she has memorized without touching the mushaf (book) or read from the Quran book using a barrier like hand gloves and the likes. She can also do azkar (morning and evening).
As for third which is carrying the mushaf (book), the laptop or mobile phone which contains a Quran Application and reading from it.
The scholars have different opinions on this. Start with carrying of the Mushaf (Book) in a box or pouch; they have different opinions on it:
The Hanafi and Hanbali schools of thought follow the opinion that allows the impure or the one without Ablution to carry the Mushaf via a strap, or via a medium that is not attached to it, because the person will not be touching it, so he will be allowed to carry it similar to carrying the Mushaf among his luggage. This is because what is forbidden here is touching of the Mushaf, and in this case there is no touching.
The Maliki and Shafi’i schools of thought and from a narration from Ahmad, they all follow that this is not permitted.
Menstruating woman touching or reading Quran from phone
Majority of scholars after a lot of debates have agreed that touching the Holy Qur'an through cellphones is not considered as a haram practice. Since it would be touched indirectly. In truth, that is the light/glass of the mobile phone that you touch, not the real Quran.
And to sum it up, it's clear that there is a fiqhi difference of opinion in this issue, what I outweigh is that it is permitted to carry a mobile phone without the state of purity even if it contains Quran application program because it does not take the rule of the Mus’haf. The reality of the program stored in the mobile phone memory is not like the writing, and the mobile phone contains many programs as well as the Quran and it is used in many things other than reading the Quran and does not take the rule of the Mushaf.
So. It is permissible for a menstruating woman to read Qur’an from mushaf with a barrier (i.e gloves) and/or from the computer, and phones. I personally follow the opinion that it is permissible.
And Allah knows best.
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