Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Is it prohibited for a woman, to recite Quran or its verses, who has recently given birth to a child,As she is not pure and clean(Paak) after delivery? 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Menses and recite quran

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 56 Surah Waqiah verse 77-79:

That this is a Glorious Quran, inscribed in a well-guarded Book, which none can touch, except the purified.

Although the above aayah is meant to state how the Quran is honored by the noble Angels in the heavens; the scholars have opined that just as the Glorious Quran is honored in the heavens by the Angels, so should it be honored on the earth…. And thus, one should touch it only when one is pure and clean.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 222:

They ask about the monthly periods (of the women). Say (O Prophet), “It is a state of impurity; so keep apart from the women during their monthly periods and do not go near them (sexual intercourse) until they are clean.”

According to most scholars, one who is physically unclean (because of sex, or menstruation, or post childbirth, etc.) should not physically touch the Glorious Quran. This is based on a hadith from Hadrat Ali (r.a.), in which he stated that nothing kept the Messenger of Allah (saws) from touching the Quran save being sexually impure.

To the best of our knowledge, we have not come across any authentic narrations of the Messenger of Allah (saws) where he explicitly forbade the menstruating women to touch the Holy Quran. But it is a consensus of the scholars, who have given their opinion in light of the above aayahs of the Holy Quran and the practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws), that a person who is impure, should not touch the Quran.

All the scholars and major schools of thought in Islam are absolutely unanimous in their opinion that there is absolutely no harm for a woman, who is experiencing her normal or post childbirth menstruation, to recite the Quran from memory, or make supplications, or praise and glorify her Lord Most High, Most Exalted; but it would be best if she would abstain from physically touching the Glorious Quran with her bare hands.

Some scholars are of the opinion that if one is either teaching or learning the Quran, and one fears that one might forget or miss one’s classes or studies during their menstruation periods, to wear gloves and then touch the copy of the Glorious Quran and thus continue their study of the Holy Book. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan