[AceOfHearts]

Does the Qur'an disallow menstruating women from praying / fasting?
By Sr. Zeynab

If you read the Glorious Quraan carefully and then read the Hadith on the topic of menstruation, you will notice the widely different views.

In the words of Allah:

"They will ask you about menstruation. Say, 'It is an impurity, so keep apart from women during menstruation and do not approach them until they have purified themselves. But once they have purified themselves, then go to them in the way that Allah has enjoined on you.' Allah loves those who turn back from wrongdoing and He loves those who purify themselves." (2:222)

The Quraan looks upon menstruation purely from the biological viewpoint. According to the Quraan the only thing that should be avoided during menstruation is sexual intercourse. Most medical experts today would also advise the same. It's a matter of sexual hygiene, promoting good health. The Quraan does not say anywhere that women should not offer their prayers, or should not fast or shouldn't perform pilgrimage during their menses. However, for reasons of convenience / comfort if some women who bleed very heavily or suffer from severe menstrual pain do not want to perform these duties during menstruation is a different matter. That is very plausible. But the Hadith brings the idea of women being kept in seclusion during their periods and not performing any act of worship. This concept is borrowed from the altered Bible where menstruating women are regarded as unclean in an unworthy sense, as if menstruation is a spiritual or moral drawback till it is over and women cleanse themselves. No doubt being properly cleansed after menstruation is very important, but from the physical / medical viewpoint. It does not have any bearing on one's Faith. A menstruating woman can be considered spiritually just as close to the Almighty Allah as anyone else.

The following are some Hadith on menstruation expressing the views of the 'ulemas' that have been falsely attributed to the Prophet (pbuh).

Chapter 6. It is related that Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, set out to the place of prayer on the Day of Adha or Fitr and passed by the women. He said .... Is it not so that when a woman is menstruating, she neither prays nor fasts?' They said, 'Yes.' He said, 'That is how her deen is deficient.'"

'Ata' stated that Jabir said, "'A'isha started menstruating and performed all the rites of hajj except tawaf of the House and she did not pray."

It is related that 'A'isha said, "''We set out with the Prophet , may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with no other intention than to perform hajj. When we reached Sarif, I started to menstruate. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came upon me while I was weeping. He said, 'What has made you weep?' I said, 'I wish , by Allah, that I had not made hajj this year.' He said, "'Is it that you have started to menstruate?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'This is something which Allah has decreed for the daughters of Adam so do everything someone on hajj does but do not do tawaf of the House until you are pure.'"

As we all know, the Bible states very harsh rules for the seclusion of menstruating women, even harsher than Hadith. Read the following carefully.

"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a MALE child: then she shall be unclean SEVEN DAYS; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying THIRTY THREE days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. But if she bear a FEMALE child, then she shall be unclean TWO WEEKS, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying SIXTY SIX days." (From the NIV Bible, Leviticus 12:2-5)

"And if a woman have an issue (her period/menses), [and] her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean. And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And if it [be] on [her] bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even. And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean. And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she [shall be] unclean. Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation. And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And the priest shall offer the one [for] a sin offering, and the other [for] a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the LORD for the issue of her uncleanness." (From the King James Version Bible, Leviticus 15:19-30)

[continued...]

[AceOfHearts]

According to the Bible, a menstruating woman is so "unclean" that everything she touches also becomes 'unclean.' Every items of the house the "unclean" wife comes into contact with turns dirty. The Bible treats women who are having their menses as a frightening carrier of disease that men must stay away from. To top it all, the Bible also makes distinctions between a male and a female fetus, in that, giving birth to a female child is supposed to cause double pollution within the mother's body compared to a male child. It's hard to conceive anything more ridiculous than this!

The Bible clearly paints menstruation more as a curse than simply a natural / biological factor ordained by God. The Noble Quraan on the other hand only highlights this aspect from the view point of physical hygeine and cleanliness, that too only for reasons of sexual intercourse. The Quraan NEVER even remotely mentions about household items becoming unclean if touched by a menstruating woman. Also, the Quraan does NOT say of anyone getting unclean by touching a menstruating woman's body like shaking hands or a spouse putting his arm around his menstruating wife etc. Similarly, the Quraan says NOTHING about prohibiting women from praying or fasting during menses. This idea has been brought into Islam from the Hadith, and Hadith has borrowed the notion to a slightly less harsher degree from the Bible. Here let me mention, the various Hadith narrations of Bukhari, al-Muslim etc. do convey the concept that a husband touching his menstruating wife's hands, arm or face is allowed, which though not a contradiction of the Quraan is highly objectionable from another point of view. Such narrations violate the privacy of the Prophet's personal life, and are a highly improper, needless and manipulative course of action by the Hadith narrators.

Regarding fasting, again the Noble Quraan mentions its importance for everyone (men and women alike). The Quraan states all believers must fast during the month of Ramadan. There's no commandment nor concept at all in the Quraan that menstruating women must not fast.

Landing with a contradiction
The followers of Hadith say that a woman is not allowed to pray or fast during menstruation because it's an unclean state, however they do admit that it's a natural state as ordained by Allah. Since it's a natural state, therefore the ruling of the "scholars" also does not tell women to offer additional prayers in place of the missed ones after they are cleansed. But they do say that when women miss their fasts because of periods, they should make it up by fasting nafl after Ramadan. Because of this man-made innovation and interference of Hadith regarding prohibition of prayer and fasting during menses, the "scholars" have again landed up with this contradiction of not instructing to make up for missed prayers but instructing to make up for missed fasts even though menses happens to be a natural state both during prayers and fasting.

In the Noble Quraan, Allah says that anyone (men or women) who miss their fasts because of sickness should make up for it later. The Quraan still does not even hint on menses. When the Quraan excuses sick people from fasting, it clearly refers to general illness, not periods.

Faulty analogy!
The hadith adhering 'scholars' further state that since the Quraan prohibits sexual intercourse during fasting, therefore menses should logically also be considered just as unclean and menstruating women shouldn't fast. What they are unable to comprehend is the big difference between intentional decisions and the spiritual state of mind & heart. One of the purposes of fasting is to acquire self-control and restraint over human desires. Moreover, the month of Ramadan requires greater concentration on the Almighty Allah. Thus, Allah tells humankind not to indulge in sex during fasting. A person's decision for sex is not a natural phenomenon. It's within their control to restrain themselves or give in to the temptation. Menses on the other hand is a totally different issue. It's a one hundred per cent natural phenomenon over which a woman has no control, and neither does it express any carnal desires on the part of the woman. A physically menstruating woman can be just as spiritually clean and devout as any un-menstruating woman or any man.

Does the Quraan disallow menstruating women from praying / fasting?

[IbnMardhiyah]

Retarded article.

In Islam, our two sources of guidance are the Qur'an and Sunnah. So if the Prophet said something and its verified, we accept it.

The idea of being in an impure state when bleeding is not exclusive to women, it applies to men also. If a man is bleeding heavily because of a cut or wound, then his wudu is broken and he cannot pray until he cleans himself up.

[TariqBinSleepin]

Assalamu Alaikum,

Ok im sorta confused as to what the Article is trying to prove .

What i get from is it that Author believes that the hadiths, if not not all of them, and the ones about menstruating women are somewhat taken from the Bible? The article contradicts it self, because it is stating the words of the Prophet (PBUH) and Quranic verses which say the same thing. Thats sufficient enough for me.

It is related that 'A'isha said, "''We set out with the Prophet , may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with no other intention than to perform hajj. When we reached Sarif, I started to menstruate. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came upon me while I was weeping. He said, 'What has made you weep?' I said, 'I wish , by Allah, that I had not made hajj this year.' He said, "'Is it that you have started to menstruate?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'This is something which Allah has decreed for the daughters of Adam so do everything someone on hajj does but do not do tawaf of the House until you are pure.'"

Her faulty analogy doesn't make sense, atleast to me. Women menstruate every month no? or sometimes skip them, but its more often then Ramadan coming around only once a year. SHe is comparing two different things. Since the Quran does say you should make up the prayers by praying Nafl, doesnt that constitute as making up? so why is she contradicting himself again?


As ibnMardhiya said, this article is pointless. And we gotta follow the Quran and the Sunnah.

[IbnMardhiyah]

Originally Posted by TariqBinSleepin

His faulty analogy doesn't make sense, atleast to me. Women menstruate every month no? or sometimes skip them, but its more often then Ramadan coming around only once a year. He is comparing two different things. Since the Quran does say you should make up the prayers by praying Nafl, doesnt that constitute as making up? so why is he contradicting himself again?

Its a she, not a he - the article was written by a woman.

And in case you didn't know yet - people like AceOfHearts and Ameen are amongst those who hate the Prophet and reject his Sunnah outright.

[TariqBinSleepin]

Originally Posted by IbnMardhiyah

Its a she, not a he - the article was written by a woman.

And in case you didn't know yet - people like AceOfHearts and Ameen are amongst those who hate the Prophet and reject his Sunnah outright.

Assalamu Alaikum,

>_<' sorry, i totally over looked HER.

But i see what you say..

[ChotooMotoo]

Not having to pray or fast durring menstruation is a kindness to women. Anyone who has experienced the kind of cramps and exaustion that come with a monthly cycle should understand that. The same is true for the 40 days you have "off" after giving birth. You need as much rest as you can. If you baby sleeps through fajr time, it's a mercy from Allah (swt) that you can also sleep through fajr, and not have to disrupt your sleep any more than the baby requires. It's actually something that once again makes women better in some ways than men. Men never get a day off.

But then you hadith rejectors have shown on more than one occiasion your sexist extremism against women, so I'm not really surprised.

[IbnMardhiyah]

Originally Posted by ChotooMotoo

Not having to pray or fast durring menstruation is a kindness to women.

Ditto.

Islam is a religion of ease.

Its people who make it hard on themselves.

[Rokaiya]

May Allah only guide us to the beautiful teachings of Quran and sunnah
and save us from evil and misguiding talks Ameen.

[lol_lol]

Originally Posted by IbnMardhiyah

Its a she, not a he - the article was written by a woman.

And in case you didn't know yet - people like AceOfHearts and Ameen are amongst those who hate the Prophet and reject his Sunnah outright.

have they ever said they hate the prophet?

[TariqBinSleepin]

Originally Posted by lol_lol

have they ever said they hate the prophet?

Good point, i don't think they said they hate the prophet. I think they don't follow the hadith. Which would mean not following the sunnah. I don't know what their thought is on the Prophet (pbuh).

[lol_lol]

Originally Posted by TariqBinSleepin

Good point, i don't think they said they hate the prophet. I think they don't follow the hadith. Which would mean not following the sunnah. I don't know what their thought is on the Prophet (pbuh).

yeah but if they have never said that they hate the prophet then for ibn to say something like that is stupid and moronic.

[wheelworks]

Originally Posted by lol_lol

yeah but if they have never said that they hate the prophet then for ibn to say something like that is stupid and moronic.

You should forgive him. He's still young and tends to get exited at times. Young blood and all that sort of rot donchaknow