Honoring the Quran and Distinguishing Recitation from Touching the Mushaf

Part of the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaah is that the Quran is truly the speech of Allah, revealed and uncreated; it originated from Him and will return to Him. The Quran written in the Mushaf is the speech of Allah, while the paper and ink of the Mushaf are created. Allah's speech must therefore be honored, and the Mushaf must be protected from disrespect.

Honoring the Quran does not mean declaring something prohibited without authentic evidence, nor does it mean disregarding the ritual purity required for touching the Mushaf. This is why recitation is distinguished from direct physical contact.

The Ruling in Brief

While menstrual blood continues, a woman may, according to the stronger view, recite the Quran from memory or from a phone, listen to it, review what she has memorized, and recite it for ruqyah. A phone does not carry the ruling of a printed Mushaf.

She should not directly touch the pages, writing, or attached cover of a Mushaf until she becomes pure and performs ghusl. If she needs it for teaching, an examination, or correcting memorization, a group of scholars permit using a separate barrier such as a clean glove or tissue.

May a Menstruating Woman Recite the Quran?

Scholars differ concerning a menstruating woman's recitation of the Quran. Some prohibit it until she becomes pure, drawing an analogy with a person in a state of janabah. Others permit her to recite without touching the Mushaf. The second view is stronger because no authentic and explicit hadith has been established prohibiting a menstruating woman from recitation, and menstruation may continue for days during which she cannot end the condition by performing ghusl.

The well-known narration, «لا تَقْرَأُ الحَائِضُ ولا الجُنُبُ شَيْئًا مِنَ القُرْآنِ». “Neither a menstruating woman nor a person in a state of janabah should recite anything from the Quran,” was graded weak by leading hadith scholars and cannot by itself establish prohibition.

Women experienced menstruation during the time of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and they needed to remember Allah, learn, and preserve the Quran they knew. Had recitation been generally prohibited for them, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would have explained it clearly in a manner preserved by the Muslim community, just as he explained the prohibitions concerning prayer, fasting, tawaf, and sexual intercourse during menstruation.

Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said:

«كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ أَحْيَانِهِ». “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to remember Allah at all times.”

Narrated by Muslim (373).

When Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, began menstruating during Hajj, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, told her:

«افْعَلِي مَا يَفْعَلُ الحَاجُّ، غَيْرَ أَنْ لَا تَطُوفِي بِالبَيْتِ حَتَّى تَطْهُرِي». “Do what the pilgrim does, except do not perform tawaf around the House until you become pure.”

Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

This hadith is not, by itself, an explicit text about Quran recitation. It nevertheless indicates that menstruation does not prevent a woman from the rites of Hajj and the remembrance of Allah except where evidence provides an exception. Since no authentic and explicit evidence prohibiting her recitation has been established, the original ruling of permissibility remains.

A group of scholars adopted this view, including Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, and Shaykh Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy upon them, issued fatwas accordingly. The purpose is not to seek the easiest opinion, but to follow the view whose evidence is stronger while honoring the Quran and avoiding direct contact with the Mushaf.

The difference between a menstruating woman and someone in a state of janabah is clear. The latter can perform ghusl whenever desired, whereas a menstruating woman cannot end her menstruation and may remain in that condition for days before becoming pure. She should therefore not be given the same ruling regarding recitation without authentic and explicit evidence.

Permissibility is not limited to a memorizer or teacher who fears forgetting. A menstruating woman may recite for worship, review, learning, teaching, and ruqyah, although the needs of teaching and preserving memorization further demonstrate the hardship that prohibition would cause.

Permitting recitation does not remove the virtue of ritual purity or the etiquettes of reading. It means that a woman need not remain disconnected from the speech of Allah throughout her menstrual period.

Touching a Printed Mushaf

A menstruating woman should not directly touch a printed Mushaf until her bleeding stops and she performs ghusl. This is the view of the majority of scholars and the four schools of jurisprudence, and it is the ruling that should be followed.

The letter of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to Amr ibn Hazm, may Allah be pleased with him, stated:

«أَنْ لَا يَمَسَّ القُرْآنَ إِلَّا طَاهِرٌ». “No one except a person in a state of purity should touch the Quran.”

It was narrated by Malik in Al-Muwatta through routes that strengthen one another. A group of scholars accepted the letter of Amr ibn Hazm and acted according to it.

What is meant here is directly handling the Mushaf, whether the woman touches its letters, pages, or attached cover. Recitation itself does not require contact; she can read from memory or from an electronic device.

A Menstruating Woman Is Not Physically Impure

Prohibiting a person without ritual purity from touching the Mushaf does not mean that a menstruating woman or her hand is physically impure. Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to her:

«نَاوِلِينِي الخُمْرَةَ مِنَ المَسْجِدِ». “Hand me the prayer mat from the masjid.”

She replied that she was menstruating, so he said:

«إِنَّ حَيْضَتَكِ لَيْسَتْ فِي يَدِكِ». “Your menstruation is not in your hand.”

Narrated by Muslim (298).

A Muslim woman's body, perspiration, and hands are pure. The prohibition on touching the Mushaf is a devotional ruling connected to ritual purity and honoring Allah's speech, not a judgment that the woman herself is impure.

Reading from a Phone or Tablet

A menstruating woman may open a Quran application, touch the screen, turn the pages, and read from it. A phone is a multipurpose device, and the verses appear on its screen and then disappear. The device therefore does not carry the ruling of a printed Mushaf concerning physical contact.

Wudu is not required for reading from a phone, although being in wudu is good and more complete in etiquette when convenient. The Quran page should be closed before entering a restroom, and the screen should be protected from impurity and disrespect while verses are visible.

For further details about phones and the Mushaf, see Reading the Quran on a Phone and Touching the Mushaf Without Wudu.

Using a Separate Barrier When Needed

A group of scholars permit a menstruating woman to carry a Mushaf or turn its pages through a separate barrier when needed, such as a clean glove, tissue, separate piece of cloth, or pen. Shaykh Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy upon him, issued this ruling for teachers, students, and those who need to locate or review a passage in the Mushaf.

According to a group of jurists, an attached cover is not the same as a separate barrier, so a woman should not rely on it to handle the Mushaf. Today, reading from a phone and leaving the printed Mushaf until she becomes pure is easier. If a genuine need exists, she may use a separate barrier.

This concession does not permit direct contact with the Mushaf or turn the barrier into a pretext for carelessness when no need exists.

Quran Teachers and Students During Menstruation

A teacher is not required to stop teaching the Quran during menstruation, and a student need not stop reviewing or taking an examination. They may use the following options:

1. Recite from memory.
2. Read from a phone or tablet.
3. Listen to the student's recitation and correct it verbally.
4. Ask a woman in a state of purity to hold the Mushaf and open the required passage.
5. Use a separate barrier when needed, according to the view explained above.

Teaching can therefore continue while preserving the sanctity of the Mushaf, without a prolonged interruption and without carelessness regarding direct contact.

Tafsir Books and Translations of the Quran's Meanings

If a book is a tafsir in which the commentator's words predominate over the verses, a group of scholars give it the ruling of a book of knowledge rather than that of a pure Mushaf. If a translation of the meanings appears in the margins while the Arabic Quranic text remains predominant, the basic ruling is that a menstruating woman should not directly touch it.

A translation containing no Arabic Quranic text is not itself the Quran; it is an explanation of its meanings and may be touched. If a woman is unsure whether a volume should be treated as a Mushaf or a tafsir, using a phone or a separate barrier removes the uncertainty.

Dhikr, Ruqyah, and Listening to the Quran

A menstruating woman may remember Allah, say Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illa Allah, and Allahu Akbar, recite the morning, evening, and sleep adhkar, and make the supplications found in the Quran and Sunnah. According to the stronger view, she may also recite Al-Fatihah, Ayat al-Kursi, Al-Muawwidhat, and other passages with the intention of recitation and ruqyah because Quran recitation is fundamentally permissible for her.

She may listen to the Quran, repeat verses with the reciter, attend tafsir and other lessons of knowledge, and hear verses containing a prostration of recitation. Menstruation should not be portrayed as preventing a woman from every act of worship. She leaves only those acts that the evidence prohibits, including prayer, fasting, tawaf, and direct contact with the Mushaf.

What Should She Do After Bleeding Stops but Before Ghusl?

When menstrual bleeding stops and a woman sees the sign of purity, she must promptly perform ghusl. The stronger view here is that she should neither recite the Quran nor touch the Mushaf until she performs ghusl because the excuse that continued throughout menstruation has ended and she is now able to purify herself. Dhikr, dua, and listening to the Quran remain permissible before ghusl.

If she cannot find water or is unable to use it because of a valid Shariah excuse, she performs a valid tayammum. She may then do what is permitted to a person in a state of purity until she finds water or becomes able to use it.

To learn the signs by which menstruation is known to have ended, see How Does a Woman Know Her Menstruation Has Ended?, followed by How a Woman Performs Ghusl After Menstruation and Postpartum Bleeding.

When Menstruation and Janabah Occur Together

A woman may begin menstruating while in a state of janabah, or janabah may occur during menstruation. If she is in a state of janabah, she refrains from Quran recitation because of janabah until she performs ghusl, since a person in janabah does not recite the Quran until performing ghusl. If she performs ghusl for janabah while menstruation continues, she may then recite from memory or from her phone according to the stronger view, while the prohibition on directly touching the Mushaf remains until menstruation ends and she performs ghusl.

She does not have to wait for menstruation to end before performing ghusl for janabah. Her ghusl is valid and removes janabah, even though the rulings of menstruation concerning prayer, fasting, and other matters remain.

The Ruling for Istihada

Istihada bleeding does not prevent prayer, fasting, or Quran recitation. Once a woman is judged to be experiencing istihada, she performs ghusl when her menstrual period ends, then prays, fasts, and recites the Quran. She protects herself from the blood and performs wudu for prayer according to the rulings governing someone with a continuous invalidator of wudu.

She may touch the Mushaf after obtaining the ritual purity required for prayer. If she cannot determine whether her bleeding is menstruation or istihada, she should not base the ruling solely on color or a phone application. She should consider her established cycle and the characteristics of the blood and consult a trustworthy scholar when her situation remains unclear. For details, see The Difference Between Menstruation and Istihada.

Important Guidelines

1. Prohibiting a menstruating woman from recitation is not a matter of scholarly consensus. The issue is disputed, and permitting recitation without touching the Mushaf is a recognized view supported by strong evidence.
2. Permission to read from memory or a phone does not permit directly touching the Mushaf.
3. A menstruating woman is physically pure, but this does not remove the ritual-purity ruling concerning contact with the Mushaf.
4. A menstruating woman is not identical to a person in janabah regarding recitation, and the ruling of one should not be applied to the other without explaining the difference.
5. Not every instance of bleeding is menstruation. A woman with prolonged bleeding or an irregular cycle must determine her ruling before abandoning acts of worship.

Conclusion

A menstruating woman may recite the Quran from memory or from her phone, review and teach it, listen to it, and recite it for ruqyah. She should not directly touch a printed Mushaf until she sees the sign of purity and performs ghusl. If she needs to use it before then, she may use a separate barrier according to the recognized view or ask a woman in a state of purity to hold it for her.

A woman should not abandon her daily portion or review throughout the days of menstruation, nor should she use the permissibility of recitation as a reason to become careless about touching the Mushaf. This distinction organizes the rulings discussed in this subject.