Fatwa ID: 02055

Answered by: Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Question

I have a question to ask that can ladies, on their periods, recite the daily duas and Durood Shareef as they recite in the other days of the month? For a few months, I have developed a habit of reciting the small Durood Shareef more than one thousand times the whole day. Furthermore, I also try to read 100 times "HASBUNALLAHOO WA NEMAL WAKEEL", some of ALLAH'S names and few other zikars like duas of morning and evening as prescribed by the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) in my daily routine. Can I continue the same practices in the days of menses or not? By reading these zikars I get the satisfaction of mind and heart but during the days of menses, I get depressed when stopping these azkaar, especially reading the Darood Shareef as even in my home, office and other places the words of Durood shareef are uttered very easily and automatically. Does Shariah allow the menstruating woman to continue all this or not? I am praying to Allah to have relaxation for a woman in this matter.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

Answer:

Below I will mention some rulings on what a woman in her periods or postnatal bleeding can do or cannot do:

1.  A woman who experiences post natal bleeding is not allowed to recite any verses from the Holy Quran.

Saaiduna Ibn Umar relates that the Prophet of Allah has said: “A Haidh and a person in need of a bath must not recite anything from the Holy Quran.” (Sunan Tirmizi p.34 v.1)

NOTE: A Haidh and Post Natal bleeding woman have the same ruling.  

2.  Similarly, she is not allowed to perform tawaf.  Saaidah Aaisha came to Makkah for Hajj and was a Haidh.  She complained to the Prophet of Allah that she was unable to perform the rituals of Hajj.  The Prophet of Allah informed her “Do what the pilgrims do apart from tawaf, which should be done when you become purified.” (Sahih Bukhari p.44 v.1) 

3.  She is not allowed to enter the Mosque.

Saaidha Aaisha relates that the Prophet of Allah  would be in Itikaf while she was in her room which was adjacent to the Masjid, he would stretch his head out of the Masjid for her to watch while she was a Haidh. (Sahih Bukhari) 

4.  She is not allowed to fast or pray. However, she should do qadha of the fasts on a later date. (Raddul Muhtar p.485 v.1)

5.  She is not allowed to engage herself in sexual intercourse. (Surah Baqarah v.222) 

6.  She will be allowed to engage in foreplay (touching, kissing etc) with her husband. The only restriction is that intercourse is not to be engaged.

Saaidah Aaisha reports if any of the wives of the Prophet of Allahu became a Haidh, the Prophet of Allah would instruct her to trouser herself and he would then engage in foreplay. (Sahih Muslim p.141 v.1)  

Direct contact between the womans’ navel and the knees is impermissible.  Indirect contact such as stimulation through a barrier (i.e.clothing) is permissible. Similarly, direct contact above the navel and below the knees is permissible. (Fatawa Hindiyyah p.39 v.1)

7.  It will be permissible for a woman experiencing postnatal bleeding to hold dua books with verses of the Quran in them.  It is permitted to recite duas from the Holy Quran with the intention of dua, though not with the intention of reciting the Holy Quran. It is also permissible to recite durud shareef in this state. (Raddul Muhtar p.488 v.1)

With regards to your question, it will be permissible women read Durud Shareef and various other zikrs in their periods. It is also permissible for them to recite verses from the Holy Qur’an with the intention of dua and not for recitation. 

Only Allah knows best

Written by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham