As-Salamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In The Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All Praise and Thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In response to this question, the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR) issued the following Fatwa:
In the Qur’an, Allah (SWT) illustrates the Islamic rule regarding the monthly period, stating:
“وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْمَحِيضِ قُلْ هُوَ أَذًى فَاعْتَزِلُواْ النِّسَاء فِي الْمَحِيضِ وَلاَ تَقْرَبُوهُنَّ حَتَّىَ يَطْهُرْنَ”
“They will question thee concerning the monthly course. Say: ‘It is hurt; so go apart from women during the monthly course, and do not approach them till they are cleansed.”(Qur’an 2:22)
According to Shari’ah, women do not pray, fast, or have intimacy during their monthly periods until they are relieved.
In terms of accessing mosques to take advantage of their good facilities, Muslim scholars have expressed two points of view:
- It is forbidden, and a hadith is quoted to support this point of view, in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) says:
“لَا أُحِلُّ الْمَسْجِدَ لِحَائِضٍ وَلَا جُنُبٍ”
“Accessing the mosque is forbidden for women during their monthly period and people in grave impurity.” (Abu Dawoud & Ibn Majah)
- It is permissible, and a hadith is quoted to support this point of view, in which ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says:
قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: “نَاوِلِينِي الْخُمْرَةَ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ”، قَالَتْ: فَقُلْتُ: إِنِّي حَائِضٌ، فَقَالَ: “إِنَّ حَيْضَتَكِ لَيْسَتْ فِي يَدِكِ”
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to me ‘Pass me the Khumrah (i.e., a small rug Muslims prostrate on) and it is inside the mosque.’
I said: ‘I am menstruating.’
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘Your menstruation is not in your hand.” (Sahih Muslim)
وحديث أم المؤمنين عائشة رضى الله عنها ذكَرَتْ أَنَّ وَلِيدَةً سَوْدَاءَ كَانَتْ قَدْ أَعْتَقَهَا مَوَالِيهَا، قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ: “فَكَانَ لَهَا خِبَاءٌ فِي المسْجِدِ”
‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) also narrates that a freed slave woman lived in the mosque. (Sahih al-Bukhari)
The mosque was her home, where she stayed regardless of her circumstances, including during her monthly period.
The second opinion is preponderant as the second quoted hadith is authentic. In and of itself, it is consistent with the principle that women have the right to visit mosques. The first opinion is weak because it is founded on a weak hadith.
Allah Almighty knows best.
