Can a menstruating woman recite the Holy Qur’an from a mobile phone? Is it allowed to recite the Holy Qur’an on other days (when she is pure) but without ablution?

Answer

Praise Be to Allah and Peace Be Upon His Messenger.

Reciting the Holy Qur’an by a menstruating woman or by a pure Muslim but without getting ablution is a controversial issue. The Palestinian Legal Verdict Council allows menstruating women to recite the Holy Qur’an provided that they should not touch or hold the Holy Qur’an. They can do this by reciting by heart or from a mobile phone. The council also considers reciting the Holy Qur’an by a pure Muslim without getting ablution is allowed even if they hold the Holy Qur’an. This was announced on Sept. 19^th. 2013 in their decision 2/109, No. 15/2013/230 titled as The Ruling on Reciting the Holy Qur’an by Junub or Menstruating or By Who has not Got Ablution.

The council announced that the words of Allah which are represented in the Holy Qur’an are the most honorable ones. Allah swears on this. He says: “So I swear by the setting of the stars. And verily, that is indeed a great oath, if you but know. That (this) is indeed an honorable recitation (the Noble Qur’an). In a book well-guarded (with Allah’ in the heaven i.e. Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz). Which (that Book with Allah) none can touch but the purified. Al-Waqi’a: 75-79

For this reason, Muslim scholars cared much about finding the most authentic ruling on the above-mentioned issue. The Palestinian Verdict Council concludes the following:

First, the majority of Muslim scholars see that a Muslim who is pure from Janabah but they do not get ablution can recite the Holy Qur’an without ablution. Their evidence is the following tradition of the prophet (PBUH). Ibn Abbas narrated that he once slept in Maymoona’s house. (She is one of the prophet’s wives, and she is Ibn Abbas’s aunt). He says that the prophet (PBUH) slept till midnight or nearby so and woke up rubbing his face and recited the last ten verses of Al-Imran Surah. Then, he went towards a leather skin which was hanged and performed ablution in the most perfect way; then, he stood for the prayer.” Related by Al-Bukhari

Second, scholars have no final agreement towards reciting the Holy Qur’an by an impure Muslim, and they differentiated between a menstruating and a postpartum woman and the Junub.  This is because, the Junub can quickly be pure by performing the purifying shower, while the menstruating and the postpartum women cannot.

The majority of scholars who belong to the Shafi’i, Hanafi and Hanbali schools see that it is not allowed for a woman who is impure (menstruating or postpartum) to recite the Holy Qur’an.

However, Imam Malik, Imam Ahmad in one context, some of the prophet’s companions, and the successors saw that women are allowed to recite the Holy Qur’an while they are impure because such a condition extends for a long period of time.

Those who forbid women from reciting the Holy Qur’an have no clear or true evidence which clearly states that women cannot recite the Holy Qur’an. On the other hand, those who think that women (being described as impure) can recite have their evidence.

The prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said to ‘Aishah RAA: “Do what the pilgrims do but without performing the circumambulation (going around the Ka’bah) till you are purified.” Related by Al-Bukhari

So, it is obvious that allowing ‘Aishah to do what a pilgrim does means that she could say Allah’s praises which include some verses. Therefore, this hadith is an evidence which proves that impure women can recite the Holy Qur’an.

However, the four jurisprudence schools’ scholars do not allow the Junub to recite the Holy Qur’an depending on some prophetic hadiths which are not graded as authentic. One of them is: “The prophet used to recite the Holy Qur’an for us as long as he was not Junub.”

Other scholars such as the scholars who narrated from Malik, in addition to Ibn Abbas, Dawood, At-Tabari, Ibn Al-Munther and Ibn Hazm, see that it is allowed for the Junub to recite the Holy Qur’an depending on what ‘Aishah said: “The messenger of Allah used to mention Allah’s Name (praising Him) at all times.” Related by Muslim

It is much better and preferred to consider the opinion of the majority of scholars regarding the recitation of a Junub as they can waive impurity quickly.

Such an opinion (the Junub cannot recite) includes preventing them from recitation by heart, form a mobile phone or a computer.

It is agreed upon by the majority of the four schools’ scholars that an impure Muslim (menstruating, postpartum or Junub) cannot touch or hold the Holy Qur’an depending on the verse: “Which (that Book with Allah) none can touch but the purified.” Al-Waqi’a: 79

Others see that such an interpretation of this verse is not final. There could be other explanations.

Finally, other scholars allow a teacher who teaches the recitation of the Holy Qur’an, and the learner to hold the Holy Qur’an if they are not on a major event but need ablution. However, holding it after performing ablution is much better.

In addition, it is a dominant opinion that those who are on a major event cannot hold the Holy Qur’an.