Question: A woman had blood beginning to flow (i.e., her menses) while she was in the Mosque of the Prophet . She stayed in the mosque for a short while, until her husband had finished his prayer, so that she could leave with him. Did she commit a sin?

Q & A on menstruation and post-partum bleeding –I

Response: If she was not able to depart from the mosque by herself, then there is no harm in what she did. However, if she was able to leave by herself, then it was obligatory upon her to exit as quickly as possible. This is because the menstruating woman, the woman who has post-partum bleeding and a sexually defiled person are not allowed to sit in the mosques. This is based on Allah's statement which forbids certain categories of people from approaching the places of prayer, one of which is (what means): "…Nor while sexually defiled, except when travelling on a road…" [Quran 4: 43] (1)

It is also narrated from the Prophet that he said: "I do not permit the menstruating woman or the sexually defiled person to enter the mosque." [Abu Dawood]

Shaykh Ibn Baaz

Footnotes

1. The Mustahaadhah is the woman with Istihadhah. Istihadhah is either a prolonged flow of blood (called menorrhagia in English) or bleeding outside of the menses (called metrorrhagia in English). Many hospitals and medical clinics in the United States have pamphlets stating what women should do in such cases. In some cases, especially when the bleeding is prolonged, it may be symptoms of some other disorder.

2. This translator was not able to find this Hadeeth with this exact wording. The authentic narrations in Al-Bukhari and Muslim simply state that she is to make ablution for every prayer.

Q & A on menstruation and post-partum bleeding –I