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:

Salaam Burhan,

Could you please show me the passages in the Qur'an regarding my menstruation questions? I would greatly appreciate it. There is no rush, please take your time.

1- Why can a woman not Fast when she is menstruating?

2- Why can a woman not Pray when she is menstrutaing?

3- Please show me the passage in the Qur'an where is states a woman should cover her head while praying.

For each answer, if you could please tell me the passage from the Qur'an it would be wonderful. I have had this discussion with many women who all say and do different things which confuses me a little so if I can be told where in the Qur'an it is and if I could read it for myself then I will feel assured.

Thank you Burhan bhai and may Allah bless you for all the hard work and dedication you are putting into this help line.

Take care.

(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:

Women menstruation from 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.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause. We hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

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

222 They ask thee (O Prophet (saws)) concerning women's menstruation courses. Say (O Prophet (saws)): ‘They are a hurt and a pollution’; so keep away from women in their courses and do not approach them until they are clean. But when they have purified themselves ye may approach them in any manner time or place ordained for you by Allah. For Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean.

Your Question:1- Why can a woman not Fast when she is menstruating?

Your Question:2- Why can a woman not Pray when she is menstrutaing?

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said to Fatimah bint Abu Habish, "Do not pray during your period. After it has ended, perform ‘ghusl’ and pray." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.327 Narrated by Aisha

The Prophet (saws) said to me, "Give up the prayer when your menses begin; and when it has finished wash the blood off your body (take a ‘ghus’ or full bath) and start praying."

Hadrat Aisha (r.a.) said: "When we would have our menses during the lifetime of the Prophet (saws), we were ordered to make up the days of fasting that we had missed but were not ordered to make up the prayers that we had missed.”

Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

Mu'adhah said, "I asked 'Aishah, 'Why must we make up the fasts missed due to our menstruation, and not the prayers?' She said, 'That was what the Messenger of Allah (saws) commanded us to do. We were ordered to make up the fasts, and we were ordered not to make up the prayers."

Related by Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Maajah, Sunan Abu Dawood, and Tirmidhi.

The direct prohibition for a women experiencing her natural menstruation from offering her prayers and observing her fasts is not from the Quran, but rather from the commands and guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws)….and Allah is our witness sister, no person who was ever blessed to walk on this planet earth feared Allah Subhanah more or understood the dictates of the deen more than the Last and Final Messenger of Allah, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws). Allah Subhanah has commanded the believers in the Glorious Quran to unconditionally obey His Messenger (saws), and it was the Messenger of Allah (saws) himself who forbade the believing women from offering prayers or observing fasts during their periods of menstruation.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verse 79-80:

We have sent you (O Mohamed) as a Messenger to mankind, and Allah’s witness suffices for this. Whoever obeys the Messenger, in fact obeys Allah, and whoever turns away from him, he will be accountable for his deeds. Anyhow, we have not sent you (O Mohamed) to be a guardian over them.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imran verse 31-32:

O Prophet (saws), tell the people, “If you sincerely love Allah, follow me. Then Allah will love you and forgive you your sins, for He is All Forgiving, All Merciful.” Also say to them, “Obey Allah and His Messenger.” And if, in spite of this, they do not accept your invitation, warn them that Allah does not love those, who refuse to obey Him and His Messenger.

Your Question-3: Please show me the passage in the Qur'an where is states a woman should cover her head while praying.

Ibn 'Abbas, Ibn 'Umar and 'Aishah report that the Prophet (saws) said, "Allah does not accept the prayer of an adult woman unless she is wearing a ‘jilbaab’ (khimar, hijab, head-cover, etc.)."

Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) commanded and declared it obligatory for the believing women to cover herself while offering her prayers in the exact same manner she is commanded to cover herself when in the presence of non-mehram adult males.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4092 Narrated by Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin

Asma, daughter of AbuBakr, entered upon the Messenger of Allah (saws) wearing thin clothes. The Messenger of Allah (saws) turned his attention from her and said: ‘O Asma', when a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it does not suit her that she displays her parts of body except this and this’, and he (saws) pointed to her face and hands.

Umm Salamah (the wife of the Prophet (saws)) narrated that she asked the Prophet (saws), "Can a woman pray in a long shirt and headcovering without a loincloth?" He (saws) replied "If the shirt is long and flowing and covers the top of her feet."

Related by Abu Dawud.

The guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws) regarding the attire of the believing women was to cover everything except her face, her hands upto her wrists, and the feet upto the ankles (inclusive) during her prayers….thus the prayer of a woman whose body parts other than her face, hands, and feet upto the ankles are exposed will be deemed unacceptable, null and void in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

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