Fatwa ID: 04071

Answered by: Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Question 

We have only two rooms in our Mosque, one small and big. Big room is the jamat khana and small is used for class for Maktab. when we have ladies bayan, can we use the big room for sitting and bayan done by the imam from small room because the small room is too small for the women to sit in and there isn't enough space, bearing in mind the women who are going to on their menstrual cycle, so will they be allowed in jamat khana as this is part of the Masjid?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer

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

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

Saaiduna Ibn Umar Radiallahu Anhu relates that the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam 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 Radiallahu Anha came to Makkah for Hajj and was a Haidh.  She complained to the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam that she was unable to perform the rituals of Hajj.  The Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam 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.

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

Direct contact between the woman’s’ 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)

The conclusion we can come to is it will not be permissible for women to enter the Jamat Khana to listen to the talks as the Jamat Khana is in the ruling of a Masjid.

Only Allah Knows Best

Written by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham