Menstruating Women Are Not Permitted to Enter the Mosque

26-2-2019 | IslamWeb

Question:

Can ladies enter and stay in Masjid during their monthly menses period, some are teaching in the Masjid

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.{C}

The four Imams (of the main schools of jurisprudence) and most scholars are of the view that it is not permissible at all for a menstruating woman to stay in the mosque.

Their evidence is the prohibition for a person in major ritual impurity (junub) to stay in the mosque that is mentioned in the verse in which Allah Says (what means): {…or in a state of janabah, except those passing through [a place of prayer], until you have washed [your whole body]..} [Quran 4:43]

They said that it is with a greater reason that the menstruating woman is prohibited from doing so [staying in the mosque].

The second evidence is that the Prophet said: “I do not make the mosque lawful (to stay in) for the Junub or the menstruating woman.” [Abu Daawood, At-Tirmithi, An-Nasaa’i and Ibn Maajah] Ibn Sayyid An-Naas classified it as sound while many scholars classified it as inauthentic.

Yet, another evidence is the saying of the Prophet : “…but the menstruating women should keep away from the praying area (during the 'Eed prayer).” [Al-Bukhari]

Since they are commanded to stay away from the place of ‘Eed prayer; then with greater reason they are ordered to stay away from the mosque.

Nonetheless, some scholars like the Thaahiriyyah (jurists who judge based on the literal meaning of the texts) are of the view that it is permissible for a menstruating woman to stay in the mosque.

The view that we adopt here in Islamweb is the view of the majority of the scholars.

For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 82652, 143301, 89944, 85454, and 88170.

Allah knows best.