The Qur'an does not treat menstruation as a taboo, nor does it surround it with ambiguity; rather, it addresses the topic directly and with precision. Yet, menstruation has been mischaracterised as a barrier to all worship, leading to widespread confusion about what is actually prohibited, what is conditionally suspended, and what remains fully permitted.
Question on menstruation
It starts with a direct inquiry from the people to Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him):
2:222And they ask you about the menstruations? Say, 'it is a suffering, so retire yourselves sexually from the women during the menstruations, and do not approach them until they are purified. When they are purified, then you may approach them as Allah has commanded you. Allah loves the repenters and He loves the purified.'
The word used for menstruation is translated as 'suffering'. It refers to physical discomfort, not an illness or moral impurity. The Qur'an treats menstruation as a natural hardship, not a spiritual deficiency.
The term 'suffering' (aza) appears in multiple verses, consistently referring to physical or emotional discomfort:
- 2:196 — suffering during pilgrimage
- 3:186 — suffering from verbal abuse and persecution
- 4:102 — suffering from enemy threat during salat
This confirms that menstruation is framed as a temporary physical suffering that places the woman in a state of major ritual impurity.
Physical vs spiritual purification
The Qur’an uses the concept of purification to describe two distinct ritual states: physical and spiritual. The context always determines the meaning. When referring to physical impurity or moral impurity, the Qur’an is not describing something as physically dirty. These are ritual conditions that affect worship eligibility, not hygiene or morals.
- Physical purification refers to bodily states such as menstruation or sexual activity that require washing/ablution before certain acts of worship.
- Spiritual purification refers to inner righteousness, often linked to moral character and intention.
| Context | Type of Purification | Verse Citation(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Menstruation | Physical (bodily cleansing) | 2:222 |
| Ablution & ghusl | Physical (ritual washing) | 5:6 |
| Mosque & righteousness | Spiritual (moral purity) | 9:108 |
Allah says "...and if you have had intercourse, then you shall purify..." (5:6). This refers to washing the body, not spiritual repentance. At the end of the verse He says "...He does not want to place hardship on you, but He wants to purify you..." (5:6). Again, the purification is a physical one through washing.
In contrast, the Qur'an states "...a mosque that is founded on righteousness
from the first day is more worthy that you stand in it; in it are
men who love to purify themselves. And God loves the purified" (9:108). This is spiritual purification, tied to ethical conduct and inner sincerity. It is not referring to men taking baths in the mosque.
Marital intimacy (no)
The Qur'an clearly instructs us to "...not approach them until they are purified. When they are purified, then you may approach them as Allah has commanded you..." (2:222). This sets a clear boundary for when a woman is not in a state of purification:
- Start: onset of menstruation
- End: after the bleeding stops and she has bathed
The term 'they are purified' refers to a bodily state. Since menstruation is a physical condition, the purification must also be physical. The woman is not in a state of purification during menstruation, and intimacy is only permitted once she has returned to the state of purification.
Salat (no)
The Qur'an makes physical purification a prerequisite for salat when it states "...when you rise to perform the salat, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows..." (5:6).
Salat is a ritual that is fixed at appointed times. The Qur'an states that "...indeed, the salat for the
believers is a book that is scheduled..." (4:103). Each salat must be performed within its designated window. Once missed, it cannot be retroactively made up. The Qur'an does not permit delayed performance of salat outside its time frame. To miss a salat without valid cause is a sin as it is a breach of divine obligation.
However, menstruation is a natural condition created by Allah and explicitly addressed in the Qur'an. Allah commands sexual abstention during menstruation and permits resumption only after purification. This confirms that the woman is not in a state of ritual purification during menstruation. Ritual purification is a prerequisite for salat and as the woman can no longer meet the requirements for salat, she is exempted from performing it.
Because this exemption is grounded in the Qur'an, there is no sin upon the woman for missing salat during menstruation. She is not neglecting the salat but she is temporarily excused by divine law. Her abstention is a fulfilment of Allah's command.
Entering mosques (no but with exception)
Allah restricts those in a state of major impurity from even coming "...near the salat..." (4:43) never mind not offering the salat. The Qur'an clearly states that believers should "...not come near the salat while you are intoxicated, until you know what you are saying. Nor if you have had intercourse, unless a wayfarer, until you wash..." (4:43) This establishes a clear condition. Major impurity must be removed through washing before one can enter the mosque. The only exception is if a person is a traveller and does not have access to water for a bath.
Although the verse refers specifically to impurity through sexual encounters, the same logic applies to menstruation. Allah describes menstruation as 'a suffering' and commands that sexual contact be avoided "...until they are purified..." (2:222). The purification here is also achieved through washing, confirming that menstruation is a state of major impurity.
Since both states require bathing before before restoring ritual purity, the restriction in 4:43 logically extends to menstruation. Unless the woman is a traveller and she is unable to find water after her menstruation has ended as this would make her the exception in verse 4:43, she should not enter the mosque until she has taken a bath. This is not a moral judgment but it is a condition tied to purification. Once that purification is complete, full access to the mosque is restored.
Fasting (yes)
Unlike salat, fasting does not require a person to be in a state of purification, physical or otherwise. The Qur’an commands fasting in 2:183–187 in detail but it never links fasting to a state of purification. A menstruating woman may fast if she is otherwise able, and her fast is valid.
The only valid exemption would be if her menstruation causes actual illness. In that case, the woman falls under the general category of "...whoever of you is ill or traveling, then the
same count from different days..." (2:184). This exemption is based on physical incapacity and not on ritual impurity. However, the Qur'an also reinforces that fasting is still better for those who are still able to do so, stating "...if
you fast it is better for you if only you knew" (2:184). This confirms that while the exemption is permitted, the ideal scenario is to fast even when travelling or ill if one has the strength to do so.
The logic becomes even clearer when we examine other Qur'anic contexts where fasting is required.
The Qur'an says a person who is unable to offer the sacrifice during hajj to instead "...fast of three days during the hajj and seven when he returns; this will make a complete ten..." (2:196) as redemption. These three days are time-bound whilst still at the hajj. If menstruation did indeed invalidate fasting, a woman could not fulfil this obligation unless her cycle aligned perfectly with the hajj schedule.
In the cases of manslaughter, one of the expiation options is "...fasting of two consecutive months as a
repentance from Allah..." (4:92). If menstruation interrupted this sequence, a woman would be unable to fulfil this punishment, as she would have to reset the count every month. The Qur'an offers no other alternatives for women, nor does it exempt them.
It would be illogical for the Qur'an to require fasting in time-sensitive contexts, use fasting as a punitive or redemptive measure and yet exclude menstruating women without offering alternatives or exemptions. But we know the Qur'an is not illogical and it does not do this. It treats fasting as a valid act of worship during menstruation, unless illness prevents it. There is no verse that prohibits fasting during menstruation, and no verse that links fasting to purification.
Pilgrimage and tawaf (yes & no)
The Qur'an tells us the original command to Ibrahim was "...do not set up anyone with Me, and purify My sanctuary for those who visit, and those who are standing, and the kneeling, the prostrating" (22:26). This establishes purification of the sanctuary as a foundational principle of worship. The sanctuary itself must be kept pure, and by extension, those who enter it for acts of devotion must also be in a state of ritual purity.
The Qur'an reinforces this principle by declaring "...the polytheists are impure, so let them not come near the Masjid al‑Haram after this calendar year of theirs..." (9.28). The verse does not describe polytheists as physically unclean but as ritually impure, thereby excluding impurity from the Masjid-al-Haram altogether. If ritual impurity bars them entry, then ritual purity is a necessary condition for those performing tawaf and other acts of worship within it.
Taken together, these verses show that tawaf is not merely a physical act of circumambulation but a sacred rite requiring ritual purity. Menstruation, while natural and not sinful, is described as a state of ritual impurity. Women in menstruation are therefore exempt from tawaf until purification is complete. They may still participate fully in the broader rites of pilgrimage such as standing at Arafat, sacrifice, and remembrance since these occur outside the sanctuary. But circumambulation of the Ka'ba itself is restricted until they are ritually pure.
Touching the Qur’an (yes)
The Qur'an does not prohibit menstruating women from touching its text. The commonly cited verses to support prohibition is when the Qur'an states "It is an honourable Qur'an. In a protected Book. None can grasp it except those purified." (56:77-79). This describes the Qur'an as preserved in a well‑guarded book and the phrase 'none can grasp it except those purified' refers to the angels and not human beings. Angels by their nature are a pure creation of Allah. The early Muslims would have understood the verse in this way, as physical copies of the Qur'an did not exist for them to handle.
The Qur'an never lists purification as a condition for reading, reciting, or handling the text. On the contrary, it repeatedly commands remembrance, reflection, and recitation without restricting access.
If touching the Qur'an were prohibited during menstruation, the text would have stated this explicitly as it does with sexual abstention in 2:222 or it would have been synthesised from another verse. The absence of such a condition confirms that touching the Qur'an is not restricted by menstruation.
Conclusion
The Qur'an's treatment of menstruation in 2:222 is explained with total precision. It frames menstruation as a physical hardship, not a moral flaw, and it establishes clear boundaries for sexual relations based on bodily purification. This purification is not symbolic or spiritual. It is physical, and its timing is precise.
Across the Qur'an, purification is mandated where necessary, such as in salat, and omitted where unnecessary, such as in fasting and most rites of pilgrimage. The Qur'an does not conflate physical and spiritual purity, nor does it impose ritual conditions without textual basis. The Qur'an draws a clear line between what is divinely mandated and what is inferred and that distinction must always be preserved.