Can women pray/fast during Menstruation

[F]

Dear Joseph,

I read your articles of whether women can pray/fast during Menstruation. Your efforts are very much appreciated. However, let me please discuss this with you.

I understood from your articles that Quran is silent, only sick people can’t fast and menstruation according to Quran is harm “Aza” and is not necessary “sick”, etc.

Let me discuss with you “fasting” from a common sense basis from Quran:

Menstruation may cause some women pain, cramps, anxiety, fatigue, poor performance, etc. and no one knows when this would arise (i.e. middle/end of day). Then, if women were fasting and any of these situations happened and become necessary for a woman to break her fasting, then, the time she fasted would be lost. And she must fast another day after Ramadan. This is unjust for women because Allah said:

(4:40) Indeed, Allah does not do injustice, [even] as much as an atom's weight

One may argue that some women are very healthy. But, is there any guaranty that those healthy women will not become ill after one minute? Allah alone knows the unseen. Therefore, to follow Quran and avoid injustice, all women must break their fasting in Ramadan during menstruation and fast them later after Ramadan.
 
(5:42) … If thou judge, judge in equity between them. For Allah loveth those who judge in equity.

Regarding prayer, please note that purity is a prerequisite of establishing prayer and women during menstruation are impure as per (5:6) (2:222). However, it seems to me that you believe something different and you gave few examples from Quran to prove your argument such as:

(9:103) Take alms out of their property, you would cleanse them and purify them thereby

Then, you said “Does this mean that a state of impurity existed before purification and thus one could not pray?

The answer to your question is simple: Allah is talking in this verse about those who give charity to the needy, and by doing so, Allah will purify them. The meaning of “purify them” in this verse is: Allah will erase their sins and guide them to make best decisions in order to succeed on earth and the hereafter. 

Therefore, in my humble opinion, I would suggest that you review your decision regarding these issues.

Thank you kindly for your time. May Allah reward you for your efforts and guide all of us to the straight path,

With peace and respect,

Ref:

Can Women Pray During Menstruation?
http://quransmessage.com/forum/index.php?topic=163.0

Can Menstruating Women Fast?
http://www.quransmessage.com/articles/menstruation%20FM3.htm

To the best of my knowledge, there was an article in your Topics that “women are allowed to pray during Menstruation”. However, I couldn’t find at this moment to include the link in my post.

[QM Moderators Team]

Dear F

Can you please remain conscious of the forum policy please which has a link to the following:

http://quransmessage.com/articles/debate%20FM3.htm

We notice you've got other  threads which are critiques. Please see above.

Thanks.

[F]

Dear QM Moderators Team,

Peace be upon you,

Thank you kindly for reading my post and for your response. Please note that without a doubt I am aware of your forum policy. Simply, I was not critiquing you, but suggesting my ideas. I was only following Quran as in (42:38) and whose affair is [determined by] consultation among themselves.

I started the article with “let me please discuss this with you.” I meant “let me please share my suggestions with you”. I ended the article with “I would suggest that you review your decision regarding these issues”. I meant that “please analyze my suggestions and decide upon them.” The reason that I didn’t say “I look forward to hearing from you” is because I left the option open for you.

I know that sometimes I discuss more than one article in the same post but that only to save your time because both articles are related. If this is not acceptable with you, please advice me.
 
I tried to modify the original post but I couldn’t. As per my request last time that my Toolbar buttons are not functioning. Joseph suggested that I use different browser/Computer which I tried few different computers/browsers and nothing worked. My toolbar is still disabled. Please resolve this issue on my account.

I hope this will clarify the misconceptions. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please feel free to reply to my post.

May Allah guide all of us to the straight path.

With peace and respect,

[Sleepysoul]

I'm also not sure about this topic. I pray during menstruation. I feel that if Allah wanted us women to stay away from prayer for a few days (the importance of prayer is mentioned several times in the Qur'an), it would have been written and mentioned.
Allahu Alam.

[Wakas]

peace F,

Please see:
http://quransmessage.com/forum/index.php?topic=1799.msg9592#msg9592

[beebee19]

As a female, I do not experience any of those symptoms you mention (no cramps, mood swings, fatigue etc.). I also had my iron levels checked during that time of month and it was high. I have been this way for over a decade without problem. Therefore, periods are not in and of themselves an illness (and to suggest otherwise demonstrates your lack of knowledge as to basic human functions). If a woman does experience symptoms of illness during her period, she may take days off. But not all women, including healthy ones, should be forced to take days off when they are perfectly healthy. Just like any sickness, it is for the person to decide. Allah tells us in the Quran that it "is better" if we fast, though, and exempts only the sick and traveling (at their discretion). So we should try not to make up excuses.

[Sleepysoul]

SalamunAlaykum,

But there are women who have really bad pain during their menstruation. My sister being one. She once had such pain, she felt like fainting. I think for some it's mostly the first day and for others the first few days. I myself also have pain but it's not so bad as some women. I didn't used to pray during my menstruation but now I usually do. (I think I would probably end up missing a prayer or more though if the pain was really bad which I think has happened before, it hasn't been that long since I've started praying during menses). I actually came on here to make a post about menstruation as I'm confused about this topic again.

The following verse:

And they ask you about the menstruations? Say: "It is harmful, so retire yourselves sexually from the women during the menstruations, and do not approach them until they are cleansed. When they are cleansed, then you may approach them as God has commanded you." God loves the repenters and He loves the cleansed. - 2:222.

"He loves the cleansed." 
That made me think, does Allah not love those who are unclean i.e menstruating women? It makes me feel kind of hurt if women are not allowed to perform salah which to me means not going near Allah in a way...

And it makes me also wonder, does that mean men get more reward because they pray during this time (the men who even pray ofc) whilst women don't?

O you who believe! when you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles; and if you are under an obligation to perform a total ablution, then wash (yourselves) and if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy, or you have touched the women, and you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith, Allah does not desire to put on you any difficulty, but He wishes to purify you and that He may complete His favor on you, so that you may be grateful. - 5:6.

So I wonder, if women are not clean during their menses they can how can they "purify" themselves with wudu before salah?

"In a Book kept hidden" - 56:78.
"Which none toucheth save the purified," - 56:79.
"A revelation from the Lord of the Worlds." - 56:80.

I believe some use this to prevent women from reading the Qur'an during their menses?

I know that when reading the Qur'an, we also need to use our brains but just because it does not say clearly "Do not pray when you're menstruating", does it actually mean we're allowed to pray? The verses I've quoted confuse me a little bit.

[ilker]

Wa alaykum salam

Sister, here is a nice comment about your question and I think you'll benefit from it inshaAllah.

http://quranqanda.com/5412/how-to-understand-cleansed-in-2-222

Take care.

[Truth Seeker]

Salaam all,

I personally fast during menstruation if I am not having any side effects such as those Sleepysoul mentioned. However I have not extended that to praying as I do not feel comfortable in doing so just because I feel 'unclean' but that is just my personal take on it.

I don't see an issue with women touching the Quran during menstruation. This article may help:

http://quransmessage.com/articles/wudu%20before%20touching%20the%20quran%20FM3.htm