Question:
If Islam says menstruation is not impure, why are women not allowed in mosques during menstruation? Doesn’t that make it seem impure?
Answer:
First, we must understand whether this rule is because menstruation is considered impurity or if Islam actually views it as impurity. During the Prophetﷺ’s time, when his wives were menstruating, Aisha (RA) said that when she had menstruation, the Prophetﷺ would rest his head on her lap and recite the Qur’an. If menstruation were considered impure, would he have done that?
Other societies avoided menstruating women, kept them outside the home, prevented them from cooking, and used separate utensils for them. But the Prophetﷺ did not treat menstruation as impurity; he rested on her lap and recited the Qur’an.
Also, husband and wife could sleep on the same bed and embrace each other during menstruation. Only sexual intercourse was prohibited. Apart from that, affection and closeness were allowed. This is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari Hadith 300.Similar narrations exist from Maimunah and others.
Aisha (RA) also said that during menstruation, she would drink water and give the same vessel to the Prophetﷺ, and he would drink from the exact place where she drank. He did this to show that menstruation is not something impure. Similarly, she would eat meat from a bone and give it to him, and he would eat from the same spot. This is mentioned in Sahih Muslim.
In contrast, Jews at that time isolated menstruating women. But the Prophetﷺ said: “Do everything except sexual intercourse.” Scientific evidence also shows harm in intercourse during menstruation. Apart from that, everything else is allowed. So, Islam does not consider menstruating women impure. There are many such examples.
Then why are they not allowed to enter the mosque? The mosque is the house of Allah ﷻ and is meant for prayer. Since prayer is not allowed during menstruation, they are also asked not to come close to prayer. The mosque is directly associated with prayer. The Prophetﷺ said that when someone sits in a mosque waiting for prayer, it is as if they are already in prayer. Because of this, sitting in a mosque is treated similarly to being engaged in prayer. Also, when blood is flowing, it is considered inappropriate in a place of worship. This rule is not only for menstruation. If a man has had sexual relations and is in a state requiring ritual bath (ghusl), he also cannot enter the mosque until he bathes. He may appear physically clean, but Islam still requires purification before entering the mosque.
This does not mean men are considered impure. It is simply a condition for entering the mosque. Just as ghusl is required after marital relations, women must complete ghusl after menstruation ends before entering the mosque. The mosque is preserved as a purified place of worship.
Islam does not teach that Allah ﷻ is only present in mosques. Islam teaches that the entire earth is a place of worship. A woman seeking peace can remember Allah ﷻ, recite the Qur’an, and do other acts of worship at home except formal prayer. Therefore, it is not about impurity but about maintaining certain rules for the mosque.