What is the Sharee‘ah ruling on a person who goes out of his home while s/he is in a state of Janaabah? How to convince him/her to stop this? How does his/her state of Janaabah affect others who are in the same place?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

A person in a state of Janaabah is not forbidden to go out of his home. It is narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, came across me and I was in a state of Janaabah. He took my hand and I went along with him till he sat down. I slipped away, went home and performed Ghusl. When I came back, he was still sitting there. He then said to me, ‘O Abu Hurayrah! Where have you been?’ I replied, ‘O Messenger of Allaah! You met me when I was in a state of Janaabah. So, I did not like to sit with you until I perform Ghusl.’ The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, ‘Subhaan Allaah (glory be to Allaah)! A believer never becomes impure.’” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The Imaams of Fiqh unanimously agree that the body, sweat and clothes of a person who is in a state of Janaabah are pure. The same is applicable to a woman who is experiencing either menstruation or post-partum bleeding. It is authentically proved in many Hadeeths that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, allowed the man to touch and fondle his menstruating wife, but without intercourse. [Muslim and others]

‘Aa’ishah said: “The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to order me to cover my private parts with the waist-sheet and then fondle me when I was menstruating. He used also to be in a state of ‘Itikaaf and bring his head out and I would wash it while I was menstruating.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also used to recline against the lap of ‘Aa’ishah and recite the Quran while she was menstruating. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

‘Aa’ishah also said: “I would drink when I was menstruating, then I would hand it (the vessel) to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and he would put his mouth where mine had been, and drink. I also would eat flesh from a bone when I was menstruating, then hand it over to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and he would put his mouth where mine had been.” [Muslim]

A woman who experiences post-partum bleeding is like one who is menstruating in this respect, according to the consensus of scholars.

It is impermissible to say that a Muslim who is in a state of Janaabah, menstruation or post-partum bleeding is impure. It is impermissible to describe a Muslim with what Allaah The Exalted Described the unbelievers therewith. Allaah Says (what means): {O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are impure, so let them not approach Al-Masjid Al-Haraam (the Sacred Mosque) after this, their [final] year.} [Quran 9: 28]

Consequently, a person who is in a state of Janaabah in no way affects others. As for the report indicating that the angels do not enter a house in which there is a person in a state of Janaabah, it is inauthentic. Nevertheless, a Muslim is not permitted to remain without Ghusl for a long period so that he misses a prayer or more to be performed in the prescribed fixed time. Only a person who can not use water or does not find it or he is sleeping along this period is excused.

Allaah Knows best.