Praise be to Allaah.
It is permissible for a menstruating woman to recite Qur’aan
according to the more correct scholarly opinion, especially if she needs to
do that for fear of forgetting (what she had memorised), or to study for a
test, or to seek healing thereby, on condition that she does not touch it,
because no one should touch it except one who is in a state of purity. If
she needs to read from the Mushaf, she may touch it with a barrier, such as
a piece of clean cloth or a handkerchief or gloves and the like.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him)
said:
It is obvious that women used to menstruate at the time of
the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he did
not forbid them to recite Qur’aan. He also did not forbid them to recite
dhikr (remembrance of Allah) or du‘aa’ (supplication). In fact he instructed
the menstruating women to go out on the day of Eid and recite takbeer with
the Muslims. End quote.
Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 21/460
He also said:
There is no Sunnah at all forbidding (the menstruating woman)
to recite Qur’aan. Women used to menstruate at the time of the Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and if reciting was haraam
for them, as prayer is, then this would have been one of the things that the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade to his ummah, and
the Mothers of the Believers would have known of it, and it would have been
one of the things that they transmitted to the people. As no one transmitted
any such prohibition from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him), it is not permissible to make it haraam. It should also be noted that
he did not forbid that, and as he did not forbid it, even though there were
so many menstruating women at his time, it is known that it is not haraam.
End quote.
Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 26/191
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas
said:
It is permissible for the menstruating woman to recite from
memory without touching the Mushaf directly, if she needs to recite Qur’aan
so that she will not forget it. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah,
4/232
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It is permissible for the woman who is menstruating or
bleeding following childbirth (nifaas) to recite Qur’aan from memory,
because these conditions last for a long time, and drawing an analogy
between them and the case of one who is junub is incorrect. Based on that,
there is nothing wrong with a female student reciting Qur’aan, or a teacher
doing so for an exam or otherwise, if it is done from memory and not from
the Mushaf. But if one of them needs to read from the Mushaf, there is
nothing wrong with that on condition that it be done with a barrier. End
quote.
Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 6/360
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It is permissible for the menstruating woman to read Qur’aan
from a tafseer (commentary) or otherwise if she is afraid of forgetting what
she has memorised. If it is from a tafseer, then it is not stipulated that
she should be in a state of purity, but if it is not from a tafseer, rather
it is from the Mushaf, then it is essential for her to make a barrier
between her and it, such as a handkerchief or gloves and the like, because
it is not permissible for the menstruating woman or anyone who is not in a
state of purity to touch the Mushaf. End quote.
Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb by Ibn
‘Uthaymeen, 123/27
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked about the ruling on reciting
Qur’aan from memory for a menstruating woman who is seeking reward or for
the purpose of ruqyah as prescribed in Islam.
He replied:
If the menstruating woman recites Qur’aan for a purpose other
than just reciting, there is nothing wrong with that. If she recites Qur’aan
in order to seek healing thereby or as part of a wird for which she is
reciting it, or for the purpose of teaching or learning, there is nothing
wrong with that, because she is reciting it for a reason. End quote.
Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb by Ibn
‘Uthaymeen, 123/21
Based on that, there is nothing wrong with the menstruating
woman performing ruqyah for herself by reciting Qur’aan, du‘aa’s and dhikr
that are prescribed in Islam. There is also nothing wrong with her reciting
from the Mushaf, on condition that she does not touch the Mushaf except with
a barrier.
And Allah knows best.