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:

I want  to knw why  islam doesnt allow women to pray when she is having her periods?she cant fast,read quran why is their discrimnitaion but in other religion like christianity women can read touch the bible pray& fast.pls explain the reason. 

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Answer:

Why women can pray in periods

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 Chatper 2 Surah Baqarah verse 222:

222 They ask thee (for a ruling O Prophet (saws)) concerning women's (menstruation) courses. Say: ‘They (the menstruation) are a pollution; so keep away from (sexual intercourse with) women in their courses and do not approach them (for sexual intercourse) 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.

To be in the state of ceremonial purity is an absolute pre-condition for offering one’s conical prayers in Islam, regardless of whether one is a man or a woman. Even if a man is in the state of ceremonial impurity (post ejaculation, post wet-dream, post sexual-intercourse, etc.), then he would not be eligible to offer his obligatory prayers or touch the Glorious Quran until he has purified himself with a full bath.

It is in the very nature bestowed by the Lord Creator upon the women that they experience a periodic menstruation; and although the woman herself is absolutely blameless for this natural phenomena, Shariah Law prescribes that in her state of menstruation a woman is exempt from offering her religious duties like the offering of her conical prayers or fasting until she has purified herself from her state of menstruation.

Although it is considered unlawful in Shariah Law for a menstruating woman to enjoy sexual intercourse, and she is exempted from offering prayers and fasting, she is at liberty to live an absolutely normal life. She may associate with her husband in every physical way possible except the actual act of intercourse, she may do her normal chores, and she may even remember, glorify, extol, praise and worship her Lord and also recite the Glorious Quran from memory …except that she cannot offer her conical prayers and observe fasts.

Your Question: …..why is their discrimnitaion but in other religion like christianity women can read touch the bible pray& fast.

Regardless of what modern day Christians and Jews practice, allow us to quote you a passage from the Old Testament of the Bible regarding the severity of the injunctions of a menstruating woman in their own Scriptures:

Bible: Book of Leviticus Chapter 15, verses 19-31:

19. And if a woman has a discharge of blood, which is her regular discharge from her body, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the evening.

20. And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean.
21. And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
22. And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.

23. And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the evening.
24. 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.
25. 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.
26. 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.
27. And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
28. But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.

29. 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.
30. 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.
31. Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanliness lest they die in their uncleanliness by defiling My Tebernacle that is in their midst.

There is also provision in the “Mishnah” of Judaism as stated in the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Kerithoth 2B Soncino 1961 Edition, page 1 to provide for the death penalty according to Talmudic Law if a man has intercourse with his menstruating wife!

Rabbi Dr. Isidore Epstein, author of the English translation of the Soncino Talmud, presents his reasoning why an impure body (including the menstruating woman) is disqualified from the worship of God:

….. fundamental to their view of life is the close relationship of body and soul, so that what affects the one affects the other … From this conception it follows that the soul is affected by the uncleanness of the body … In general, bodily uncleanness has a contaminating influence on the soul, disqualifying the person thus affected from approaching the sanctuary of God.

If one compares the Shariah restrictions to almost any law of any other religious doctrine (be it the Old Testament, the Talmud, or even the Hindu Scriptures), one would realize that the restrictions levied upon a menstruating woman in Islamic Shariah Law as compared to the other doctrines are at its absolute minimum! Other than offering the conical prayers, observing fasts, and abstaining from the actual act of sexual intercourse, the menstruating woman in Islam is at absolute liberty to live an absolutely normal life and do everything that she normally does in religious affairs or otherwise!

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