Question:
What do the scholars and experts of shari’ah say regarding recitation of the Qur’ān during menstruation for girls who memorising the Quran. I’m aware that it’s not permissible to recite the Qur’ān during menstruation in the Hanafi madhab but the Malikis allow it. Are there any opinions in the Hanafi madhab that allow it for Memorising the Quran? If not, can a Hanafi adopt the Maliki opinion?
Answer:
According to the Hanafi’s it’s not allowed for a woman to recite the Qur’an aloud during menstruation. This ruling applies to both reciting the Qur’an for worship and for other purposes, such as memorising the Quran. The reasoning behind this is based on the respect and purity required for handling and reciting the Qur’an, which is traditionally done in a state of ritual purity taharah.
According to all four schools a woman in a state of menstruation cannot touch the copy of the Qur’an. Allah says about the Qur’an: “Only the clean ones touch it [1]“ (Surah Al-Waqi’ah, 79). They also cite the hadith of Ibn Umar, where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Neither the junub (person in a state of major impurity) nor the menstruating woman should recite anything from the Qur’an.” (Reported by Tirmidhi and Al-Bayhaqi)
Additionally, they refer to the hadith of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): “Nothing prevented the Prophet (peace be upon him) from reciting the Qur’an except being in a state of janabah (major impurity).” (Reported by Abu Dawood and An-Nasa’i, who classified it as Hasan Sahih).
Scholars extended this ruling to menstruating women and those experiencing postpartum bleeding. However, the Maliki school of thought made an exception for female teachers and students, allowing them to recite and touch the Qur’an based on the principle: “Hardship brings ease.” This principle is derived from the verse: “He has explained in detail what He has forbidden to you to eat, except out of necessity [2]“ (Surah Al-An’am, 119).
The reasoning behind this allowance is that the duration of menstruation and postpartum bleeding can be lengthy, raising the concern that a woman might forget what she has memorized of the Qur’an. Additionally, teaching the Qur’an may be a source of income, and the inability to teach during menstruation could cause financial harm.
Furthermore, a menstruating or postpartum woman is not like a person in a state of janabah, as a junub can remove their state of impurity through ghusl (ritual bath), whereas a menstruating or postpartum woman cannot remove her state until the natural period has ended. From this, it becomes clear that a female teacher or student is permitted to recite and touch the Qur’an during menstruation or postpartum bleeding according to the Maliki school of thought, which is a recognized position among the Sunni schools.
However, Hanafi scholars have identified some exceptions to this rule. One exception is silently reviewing the Qur’an in the heart without verbalizing it. A woman can reflect on and review the Qur’an mentally to maintain her memorization. Similarly, it is permissible in the Hanafi school to read the Qur’an from a written text for purposes such as revision or teaching, if the words are not spoken aloud and the copy is not touched directly.
Regarding the adoption of the Maliki opinion, the Maliki school allows women to recite the Qur’an during menstruation, particularly for memorising the Quran or teaching purposes, as long as the intention is not ritual recitation. Some contemporary Hanafi scholars recognize the difficulties that women who are memorizing the Qur’an might face during menstruation.
Although the Hanafi school generally discourages following rulings from other schools selectively or inconsistently, there is a principle called talfīq (mixing rulings from different schools), which allows some flexibility in cases of genuine need or difficulty. For example, some Hanafi scholars permit adopting the Maliki view in cases like Qur’an memorization, especially when interrupting the process due to menstruation could hinder progress.
- In the Hanafi school, verbal recitation of the Qur’an during menstruation is not allowed.
- Silent recitation (reviewing in the mind) or reading without verbalizing is permissible.
- In cases of necessity, such as Memorising the Quran, a Hanafi may follow the Maliki opinion that allows recitation during menstruation, provided the purpose is memorization or teaching, not ritual recitation.
[1] – Translated by Dr Musharraf Hussain Al azhari
[2] – Translated by Dr Musharraf Hussain Al azhari
This fatwa is written by Dr. Musharraf Hussain Al-Azhari