Women's Issues: Menstruation

Reading Tafseer

Question:

I read some Tafseers (Qur’anic commentaries) when I am not taahir (ritually pure), such as during my monthly period. Is there any sin on me for doing that? Will I be committing a sin if I do that?

Reply:

There is no sin on the woman who is menstruating or bleeding after childbirth if she reads books of Tafseer or even if she reads Qur’aan without touching the Mus-haf, according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions. As for the man who is junub, he should not read Qur’aan at all until he has done ghusl, but he can read books of Tafseer and hadeeth etc., without reading whatever they contain of aayaat, because of the report that nothing would stop the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) from reading Qur’aan except janaabah (being junub). According to a hadeeth narrated by Imaam Ahmad with a jayyid isnaad, he said: "As for the man who is junub, he should not read even one aayah."

[Sheikh ibn Baaz, Rahimahu 'Llah, Fataawaa Islaamiyyah (1/239)]