Recitation of the Quran During Menses and Post Natal Bleeding

First of all, the Shariah deals with the sexually defiled men/women
and menstruating women in very different matters and ways. There are
lots of differences between them:
*. The sexually defiled man/woman can at any time he/she wishes remove
that state. He/she can make ghusl and if there is no water then they
can perform tayammum.
*. Menstruating woman can not do such a thing, she is in that state
for as long as Allah (SWT) wills, until her period comes to an end.
Recitation of the Quran by menstruating and post-partum bleeding women
has been made permissible by the Malikis, Shafis, Hanbalis, Abu
Hanifa, and a number of other scholars. Their proof being:
*. Hadith of Bukhari and Muslim concerning the Eid prayer. Narrated
Umm 'Atiya (RA):
*. "I heard Allah's Messenger (SAW) saying that the unmarried virgins
and the mature girls and the menstruating women should come out and
participate in the good deeds as well as invocations of faithful
believers but the menstruating women should keep away from the
Musallah - praying place [Salat (prayers)]. Someone asked (Umm
'Atiya)(surprisingly), "Do you say the menstruating women?" She
replied, "Doesn't a menstruating woman attend 'Arafat (Hajj) and such
and such(other deeds)?"
*. Takbeer is a type of remembrance of Allah (SWT) and supplication is
not any different from dhikr
*. Hadith of Bukhari regarding Aisha (RA) when she got her menses on
the way to Mecca.
Narrated 'Aisha (RA):
"We set out with the sole intention of performing Hajj and when we
reached Sarif, (11 kms. from Makka, I got my menses. Allah's
Messenger (SAW) came to me while I was weeping. He said "What is the
matter with you? Have you got your menses? I replied, "Yes." He said,
"This is a thing Allah (SWT) has ordained for the daughters of Adam.So
do what all the pilgrimsdo with the exception of Tawaf
(Circumambulation) round the Ka'bah." 'Aisha (RA), added, "Allah's
Messenger (SAW) sacrificed cows on behalf of his wives."
Pilgrims make dhikr and read Quran. There was no objection from the
Prophet (SAW) and he (SAW) actually "told" Aisha(RA) to do so.
Another reason being hardship. A woman might forget what she memorized.
So therefore if there is no text forbidding such an act, one cannot
conclude that the act is not allowable. The burden of proof is on
those who claim that such women cannot recite the Quran, and they
offer no clear or direct proof.
There is no harm whatsoever in a menstruating woman or post-partum
bleeding woman reciting the Quran from their memory without actually
touching the Quran.
Touching the Quran During the Menstruation and Post-Partum Bleeding
The most often quoted evidences, is an Ayat from the Quran:
".... None can touch but those who are pure..." (Al-Waqi'a 56:79)
A common mistake, is people taking verses and applying it to a
particular Fiqh (point). Yet when you study the verse in more detail
you will find, in fact, it is not related to the point whatsoever.
"That (this) is indeed an honourable recital (the Noble Quran). 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 those who are pure
from sins (i.e. the angels). A Revelation (this Quran) from the Lord
of the Alamin (mankind, jinns, and all that exists). (Al-Waqi'a
56:77-80).
Put into context this A yat refers to "…a Book well-guarded," and this
means a Book with Allah (SWT). It is not talking about the physical
Quran we have in our presence here on earth..
Ibn Abbas (RA) and others, along with the early scholars, agree that
this verse is not talking about the Quran that we have in our hands. A
Book well-guarded refers to something that is hidden (Maknoon) . It is
not referring to the Quran we have in our presence here on earth.
Early scholars all agree to this conclusion.
"...In a Book well-guarded (with Allah in the heaven i.e. Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz).
According to the Tafsir of Tabari and Ibn Kathir and also according
to Jamal al-deen al-Qasami, this Ayat is not in reference to humans
having to be free from impurities.
" Which (that Book with Allah) none can touch but those who are pure
from sins (i.e. the angels)."
This verse in reference to the Angels and not mankind. In a Hadith
narrated by Abu Hurayrah (RA), the Prophet (SAW) states, "a believer
never becomes impure."
"The Prophet (SAW) came across me in one of the streets of Medina and
at that time I was in a state of Janaba. So I slipped away from him
and went to take a bath.

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Fragrance from a grave

A group of learned scholars were travelling through some villages of
Pakistan. They reached a particular village where some people came up
to them and requested themto visit a grave yard. Uponreaching the
graveyard, they smelt a beautiful fragrance coming out from one of the
newly dug graves. The villagers asked the scholars if they knew why
this smell is eminating from that particular grave. The scholars
decided to meet some family members of that person who died to find
out what he used to do. After meeting them, they discovered that the
man didn't know how to read the Quran. However, after every Fajr
salah, he would sit with the Quran and put his fingers on verses and
say "My Lord has spoken the truth here.My Lord has spoken the truth
here." Then the scholars concluded that the beautiful fragrance is
coming out because of this deed of that man. Source: This story was
narrated to me by Shaikh Mahmud Abdi from Yemen who personally knows
one of the scholarswho were travelling.
May Allah also give us the ability to read and love the Holy Quran. Ameen.

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Giving it away

Uqbah (RA) has narrated that he offered his 'Asr' salah with
Rasulullah (SAW). At the end of salah Rasulullah (SAW) hastily got up
and, stepping over the shoulders of the people, went to the houses of
one of his wives. People, not knowing what the necessity was, were
perplexed over his haste. On his return he perceivedthe people's
anxiety and explained that he had suddenly remembered leaving behind a
piece of gold in the house and he was afraid (lest his death should
take place while he owned a piece of gold; which would become
objectionable for him on the Day of Judgement). So, he had hurried
home to tell them to distribute it immediately. Source: Bukhari and
Mishkaat.

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The light of guidance

I was coming back from a long journey, and Allaah decreed that my seat
in the airplane should be beside a group of carefreeyoung men whose
loud laughter and voices were too much, and the air wasfilled with
clouds of smoke from their cigarettes. By the wisdom of Allaah, the
plane was completely full and I could not change my seat.
I tried to escape from the problem by sleeping, but it was impossible�
When Igot fed up of their noise, Itook out my Mus-haf (copy of the
Qur�aan), andstarted to read what I could of the Qur�aan in a soft
voice. Soon after that these young men started to quieten down. Some
ofthem started to read newspapers, and some of them fell asleep.
Suddenly one of them said in a loud voice, even though he was sitting
right next to me, �Enough! Enough!�
I thought that I had disturbed him because myvoice was too loud, so I
apologized to him and carried on reading in a whisper that only I
could hear. I saw him holding his head in his hands, then fidgeting in
his seat, moving a lot. Then he raised his head and said to me
angrily, �Please, stop it, I can�t stand it!!�
Then he got up from his seat and went away for a while, then he came
back, greeted me with salaams, and apologized. He fell silent, and I
did not know what was going on. But after a while he turned to me with
his eyes full of tears and said to me in a whisper, �For three years
or more I have not put my forehead on the ground, and I have not read
even one aayah!
For a whole month I have been on this trip, and there is no evil
action thatI did not indulge in. Then Isaw you reading Qur�aan, and my
world turned black and my heart was filled with despair. I felt asif
someone was stranglingme� I felt every aayah that you read coming down
on my body like a whip .
I said to myself, for how long will this negligence go on? Where will
this path lead you? What will happen after all this foolish play? Then
I went to the washroom, do you know why?
I had the strong urge to weep, and I could not findanywhere else to
hide from the people�s sight!�
I spoke to him in general terms about tawbah (repentance) and turning
back to Allaah, then he fellsilent.
When the plane landed, he stopped me, and it seemed that he wanted to
keep away from his companions. He asked me,with a serious expression
on his face, �Do you think that Allaah will accept my repentance?� I
said, �If you are sincere and serious in your repentance, then Allaah
will forgive all your sins.�
He said, �But I have done terrible things, very terrible.�
I said, �Have you not heard what Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
�Say: O �Ibaadi (My slaves)who have transgressed against themselves
(by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of
Allaah, verily,Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft Forgiving,
Most Merciful� [al-Zumar 39:53]?�
I saw him smiling with joy, with his eyes filled with tears, then he
bade me farewell and left. Subhaan Allaah al-�Azeem!
No matter how great a man's evil and sin, in his heart there is a seed
of goodness. If only we can reach it and make it grow,it will bear
fruit, in sha Allaah.
This seed of goodness is always fighting in man's heart, even when it
is covered by layers of whims and desires. When Allaah wills good for
His slave, He causes the light of guidance to shine in hisheart and
guides him to the path of those who areguided. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
�And whomsoever Allaah wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam;
and whomsoever He wills to send astray, He makes his breast closed and
constricted, as if he is climbing up to the sky� [al-An�aam 6:125]
Ahmad ibn �Abd al-Rahmaan al-Swiyaan
From al-Bayaan magazine, issue # 152, Rabee� al-Aakhir 1421, pp. 66-67

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