Menstruation in the Quran

Touch or read the Quran

Some argue that women cannot touch or read the Quran during menstruation, citing the verse:

 

None can grasp it except those purified [الْمُطَهَّرُونَ] 56:79

 

This verse is often interpreted to mean that one must be in a state of ritual purity, free from minor and major impurities, to touch the Quran. Based on this, and on their understanding of verse 2:222, menstruating women are considered not in a state of purity and are therefore prohibited from touching or reading the Qur’an.

 

But this interpretation collapses under scrutiny. The Arabic root ṭ-h-r (طهر) carries a range of meanings. Classical lexicons—including Lane’s Lexicon—confirm that tahāra (purification) is not limited to physical cleanliness. It encompasses spiritual purification, moral refinement, and sincerity of intention.

 

Extract from Lane Lexikon:

طَهَرَ

It was, or became, clean, free from dirt or filth, or pure. (A, * Msb, K. *) طهارة is of two kinds; [properly] corporeal and [tropically] spiritual. (TA.)

طهّرهُ , inf. n. تَطْهِيرٌ, [He cleansed, or purified, him, or it:] (S:) and طهّرهُ بِالمَآءِ he washed him, or it, with water: (K:) and أَطْهَرَهُ signifies the same as طهّرهُ. (Bd in lvi. 78.)

تطهّرت and اطّهّرت have this signification; but the unaugmented verb has the signification first assigned to it, or “ her discharge of blood stopped: ” (Abu-l-'Abbás, IAar:) 

Pure from the menstrual discharge; in this sense without ة: (IAar:) as also طَاهِرٌ مِنَ الحَيْضِ. (S, Msb.)

And لَا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا المُطَهَّرُونَ, in the same [lvi. 78], is said by some to mean, † None shall attain to the knowledge of its true meanings except those who have purified themselves from the filth of corrupt conduct, and ignorances, and acts of disobedience. (TA.)

وَيُحِبُّ المُتَطَهِّرِينَ , in the Kur [ii. 222], signifies And He loveth those who purify their spirits. (TA.)

 

When we examine other verses using the same root word, we see clearly that purification is often about the heart and character, not physical washing.

Consider the following verses.

 

7:82 And the response of his people was only that they said: “Turn them out of your city; they are a people who keep themselves pure يَتَطَهَّرُونَ

 

9:108 Do not stand in it, ever. A place of worship founded upon piety from the first day is worthier of your standing in it. In it are people who love to be purifiedيَتَطَهَّرُوا. God loves those who purify themselves الْمُطَّهِّرِينَ.

 

Here purification clearly refers to the cleansing of the heart and spirit, not the washing of the body.

If purification in the Quran repeatedly refers to spiritual integrity, then the verse in chapter 56 cannot automatically be assumed to mean ritual washing before touching the Quran.

Rather, it suggests something far deeper:

Only those whose hearts are sincere and purified truly grasp the message of the Quran.

 

This is reinforced in verses like:

Who does greater wrong than he, who, when reminded of his Lord’s revelations, turns away from them, and forgets what his hands have put forward? We have placed coverings over their hearts, lest they understand it, and heaviness in their ears. And if you call them to guidance, they will not be guided, ever.

Quran 18:57

 

The barrier to understanding the Quran is not a lack of physical cleanliness. It is a corrupted heart. Spiritual purity is what allows the Quran to enter and transform.

Thus, the claim that menstruating women are barred from touching or reading the Quran rests on a misreading. The Quran does not say: “None shall touch it except the physically pure.” It says: “None shall grasp it except the spiritually pure.”

The difference is everything.

 

Fasting 

Another common claim is that women cannot fast during menstruation.

Let us examine the verse where fasting is prescribed.

 

O you who believe, fasting has been decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you, perhaps you may be righteous. For days numbered. And whoso among you is sick or on a journey: then a number of other days. And for those who are able to do it, is a redemption: feeding a needy person. And whoso does good voluntarily, it is better for him. And that you fast is better for you, if you would know. 2:183-184

 

The Quran mentions 2 exemptions:

• the sick
• travellers

Menstruation is not mentioned.

Now consider this carefully: Nowhere does God describe menstruation as sickness. In the only verse where He addresses it directly, He uses a different word entirely:

 

They ask you about menstruation. Say: it is hurt أَذًى

2:222

 

The Arabic word adha means discomfort, harm, or something bothersome, not illness. God chose this word deliberately. If He had intended menstruation to be treated like sickness, as an exemption from fasting, He would have placed it alongside sickness in the fasting verses. He did not.

 

To insert menstruation into these verses is to add to the Quran something that is not there. It is to place human tradition above divine text.

 

Salat

Another verse often cited relates to approaching the Salat [Connection]:

 

O you who believe, do not approach the Connection [Salat] while you are intoxicated, until you know what you are saying. And not while unclean [جُنُبًا], except if passing trough the way, until you wash yourselves.

And if you were sick, or traveling, or one of you comes from the privy, or you have touched the women, and you do not find water, then seek [تَيَمّم] good [طَيِّبٌ] elevated [صَعِيدٌ] land, and wipe over your faces and hands. Indeed, God is Pardoning, Forgiving. 4:43

 

Understanding this verse depends largely on recognizing its structure. When read carefully, the verse unfolds in a logical sequence that clarifies its meaning.

 

The Structure of the Verse

The verse begins by prohibiting approaching the Salat in two conditions:

• intoxicated, until you know what you are saying
• Being in a state of junub, until you wash yourselves

It then continues with an explanatory section that clarifies the state of Junub.

 

The four causes of Junub

The verse lists specific circumstances:

· sickness

· traveling

· coming from the privy (relieving oneself)

· touching women (intimate contact)

 

These are not additional prohibitions. They are the situations that create the state of junub mentioned earlier.

The verse flows as follows:

1. The Rule: Do not approach the gathering while in a state of junub.

2. The Explanation: Junub means you were in one of these conditions: sick, traveling, have used the toilet, or have been intimate.

3. The Concession: If you are in any of these junub-causing situations and cannot find water, then seek the good elevated ground and perform a symbolic wiping.

 

This reading follows the natural flow of the Arabic text. The conjunction connects directly back to the condition of junub. The verse tells us, in clear terms, what constitutes this state.

 

Understanding the words used in the verse

تَيَمَّمُوا (tayammamu)

This word is often translated as “perform dry ablution,” but its root meaning is broader.

تَيَمّم ( فعل ) :- تَوَخّى، تَعَمّدَ، قَصَدَ aim at; intend; mean;seek;  purpose; design

 

صَعِيدٌ (saʿīd)

This word refers to elevated ground or land.

صَعِيدٌ High, or elevated, land or ground: or high, or elevated, land or ground, above such as is low, or depressed: or even land or ground: (L:) or even land or ground, without any trees: (Lth, L:) 

 

طَيِّبٌ (ṭayyib)

This word is frequently translated as “pure,” but its meaning is richer.

طَيِّبٌ (S, M, Mgh, O, Msb, K) and طَابٌ , (S, M, O, K,) the latter originally طَائِبٌ and deprived of its medial radical letter, or of the measure فَعَلٌ, (M, TA,) Contr. of خَبِيثٌ, (S, Mgh, O,) in two senses: (Mgh:) [i. e. good,] pleasant, delightful, delicious, sweet, or savoury; syn. لَذِيذٌ; (Msb, K; *) or esteemed [good,] pleasant, delightful, delicious, sweet, or savoury, (مُسْتَلَذٌّ,) in taste, and in odour: (Mgh:) and pure, (Mgh, K,) or clean. 

 

جُنُبًا (Junub)

The state described as junub is often interpreted narrowly as a technical ritual impurity related to sexual activity. However, the verse itself clarifies what situations are being addressed immediately afterward.

The verse lists practical circumstances such as illness, travel, relieving oneself or touching women.

These situations represent states where a person may reasonably require washing before joining a gathering.

 

Understanding the Historical Context

To understand the verse properly, we must remember the circumstances during the time of revelation.

Today, almost everyone has access to the Quran, on their phones, in printed books, in their homes. But during the time of the messenger, this was not the case.

Revelation was recited and teached publicly by the messenger. Therefore, in order to hear and learn the message, people had to gather together when the messenger recited the revelation.

These gatherings are what the Quran refers to when speaking about approaching the Salat.

Salat in this context was not simply an isolated ritual performed privately. It was a communal moment of connection where people gathered to hear the message of God.

Seen in this light, the verse reads as a set of practical guidelines for communal gatherings.

The instructions are straightforward:

• Do not approach the gathering intoxicated, until you understand what you are saying.
• Do not approach while in a state of uncleanliness unless you are simply passing through this area.
• If you intend to participate, then wash yourself first.

This is essentially a call to basic hygiene and respect for the gathering.

The verse then provides a solution for situations where washing is not possible.

If someone was sick, traveling, coming from relieving themselves or intimate with women, but cannot find water, they are told to:

seek the good elevated ground [the gathering area] and wipe over the face and hands.

This is a simple symbolic act that allows someone to participate in the gathering even when water is unavailable.

 

What the Verse does not say

Importantly, the verse does not mention menstruation at all.

It does not say:

• women must avoid prayer during menstruation
• women cannot attend gatherings
• women cannot participate in worship

These ideas are absent from the Quranic text.

The verse simply addresses practical cleanliness and attentiveness when approaching these gatherings.

 

The Absence of Ritual Ghusl in the Quran

Women are taught from a very young age that after menstruation they must perform a specific ritual bath known as ghusl before they can resume prayer, fasting or touch the Quran.

This ritual is usually described in highly detailed steps, often including instructions such as:

• forming the intention (niyyah) for purification
• washing the hands
• washing the private parts
• performing a full ablution (wudu)
• pouring water over the head a specific number of times
• ensuring that water reaches every part of the body, including the roots of the hair
• washing the right side of the body before the left

These instructions are commonly taught as obligatory religious practice. In many cases, girls learn them during childhood as part of their "religious education".

However, when we turn to the Quran itself, these detailed ritual instructions are entirely absent.

The Quran does speak about washing after certain states, but it does so in a simple and general manner. In the verse discussed earlier, the instruction is simply:
“…until you wash yourselves.” (4:43)

No elaborate procedure is described. There are:
no sequential steps, no specific method, no required formula, no detailed ritual actions.

The detailed procedures associated with ghusl, especially those connected to menstruation, therefore do not originate from the Quran itself. 

Where did the rules come from? A look at the hadith

If the Quran is silent on banning prayer, fasting, and touching the Book during menstruation, where do these widely practiced rules come from?

They come from later narrations known as hadith.

For example:

 

Sunan an-Nasa'i 350

It was narrated from 'Aishah that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

"When the time of menstruation comes, stop praying, and when it goes, perform Ghusl."

 

 

Sahih al-Bukhari 304

Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri:

Once Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went out to the Musalla (to offer the prayer) of `Id-al-Adha or Al-Fitr prayer. Then he passed by the women and said, "O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (women)." They asked, "Why is it so, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ?" He replied, "You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you." The women asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion?" He said, "Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?" They replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn't it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?" The women replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her religion."

 

 

Bulugh al-Maram 7

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin Abu Bakr (rad):

The book written by Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) for ‘Amr bin Hazm also contained: “ None except a pure person should touch the Quran”. [Reported by Malik as a Mursal and by An-Nasa’i and Ibn Hibban as Mawsul. And it is graded as Ma’lul (defective)].

 

Sahih Muslim 332 c

'A'isha reported:

Asma (daughter of Shakal) asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about washing after menstruation. He said: Everyone amongst you should use water (mixed with the leaves of) the lote-tree and cleanse herself well, and then pour water on her head and rub it vigorously till it reaches the roots of the hair. Then she should pour water on it. Afterwards she should take a piece of cotton smeared with musk and cleanse herself with it. Asma' said: How should she cleanse herself with the help of that? Upon this he (the Messenger of Allah) observed: Praise be to Allah, she should cleanse herself. 'A'isha said in a subdued tone that she should apply it to the trace of blood. She (Asma) then further asked about bathing after sexual intercourse. He (the Holy Prophet) said: She should take water and cleanse herself well or complete the ablution and then (pour water) on her head and rub it till it reaches the roots of the hair (of her) head and then pour water on her. 'A'isha said: How good are the women of Ansar (helpers) that their shyness does not prevent them from learning religion.

 

For centuries, these texts have been used to build the intricate walls that confine women during their cycles. But this raises the most fundamental question of all.

 

 What does God say about taking rulings elsewhere?