In the name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful

Is it permissible for a menstruating woman to enter the masjid?

By Shaykh Muhammad Naasir ad-Deen al-Albaani, may Allah have mercy on him

Before reading this fatwa it is important to note that there is a difference of opinion on this issue. Therefore, it is upon the seeker of knowledge to review both sides and choose which one is closer to the Kitaab and Sunnah, wallahu ‘alim.

Question: Is it permissible for a menstruating woman to enter the masjid?

Answer: It is permissible from two aspects:

1. There is no evidence to prohibit women from entering the masjid.* This is consistent with the foundational principle that says, “The origin of things is that they are mubaah (permitted) until there is a specific evidence to make it prohibited” and there is no hadith that prohibits a menstruating woman from entering the masjid.

2. There is textual evidence in Sahih Bukhari (305) from the hadith of Jaabir bin ‘Abdillah al-Ansaari that’Aisha (may Allah be pleased with them both) said,

“We set out with the Prophet for Hajj and when we reached Sarif (a place near Makkah) I got my menses. When the Prophet came to me, I was weeping. He asked, ‘Why are you weeping?’ I said, ‘I wish if I had not performed Hajj this year.’ He asked, ‘May be that you got your menses?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ He then said, ‘This is the thing which Allah has ordained for all the daughters of Adam. So do what all the pilgrims do except that you do not perform the Tawaf round the Ka’ba and do not pray.'” [Also collected by Muslim/1121 and Ahmad: 6/27]

This text shows that it is permissible for a menstruating woman to enter the masjid, even the Masjid Haram. That is because the Prophet (peace be upon him) permitted ‘Aisha to perform the actions for Hajj, making an exception for Tawaf and prayer. Therefore, the one menstruating can enter the masjid and recite the Qur’an. Whoever disputes that then it is upon him to present evidence for its impermissibility, and to also present an evidence that this prohibition came after the hadith (mentioned above).

*The shaykh classified those narrations about prohibiting menstruating women from entering the masjid as weak, therefore they cannot be relied on as evidence.

An example of this was the hadith “The mosque is not permitted for menstruating women or anyone who is junub.” This hadeeth was classed as da’eef by al-Albaani in Da’eef Abi Dawood, 232.

Source: al-Fataawa al-Muhimmah: Chapter of Taharah, p. 319

Translated by: Abu Awzaa’ee AbdusSalaam

الفقير الى الله