from the Book “فقہی احکام و مسائل” – Volume 1, Page 29
(Based on Quran and Hadith)
Now we will mention those actions which are prohibited for a Muslim unless he or she attains ritual purity, for these acts are associated with sanctity and honor. We shall explain these actions with their evidences so that one remains mindful of them and only performs them after achieving the required state of purity.
We begin with those actions that are forbidden in both minor impurities (حدث اصغر).
Touching the Qur’an:
A person in a state of impurity must not touch the Qur’an directly without a cover, as Allah says:
﴿لَا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ﴾
“None touch it except the purified.”
Surah al-Wāqiʿah: 56:79
In this verse, “purified” refers to those free from all kinds of impurity. Some scholars interpret this as referring to humans, while others consider it referring to angels.
Even if it refers to angels, the implication includes humans by analogy.
"لَا يَمَسُّ الْقُرْآنَ إِلَّا طَاهِرٌ"
“None should touch the Qur’an except a pure person.”
Imām Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr رحمه الله said:
“This ḥadīth is nearly mutawātir (mass-transmitted), because the scholars have accepted it.”
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله also held the view that it is impermissible to touch the Qur’an without purification.
If the Qur’an is in a cover or box, it is permissible to carry it—just not to touch it directly.
An impure person who is able to purify himself is not allowed to perform obligatory or voluntary prayers. There is consensus of the Ummah on this matter.
Allah says:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ... وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُوا﴾
“O you who believe! When you rise for prayer, wash your faces... and if you are in a state of major impurity (junub), then purify yourselves.”
Surah al-Mā’idah 5:6
"لَا يَقْبَلُ اللهُ صَلَاةً بِغَيْرِ طُهُورٍ"
“Allah does not accept prayer without purification.”
"لَا تُقْبَلُ صَلَاةُ أَحَدِكُمْ، إِذَا أَحْدَثَ حَتَّى يَتَوَضَّأَ"
“The prayer of any one of you is not accepted if he breaks his wudu until he performs wudu again.”
If water is available and a person prays without performing wudu—whether forgetfully or intentionally—the prayer is invalid.
"الطَّوَافُ بِالْبَيْتِ صَلَاةٌ إِلَّا أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَبَاحَ فِيهِ الْكَلَامَ"
“Tawaf of the House (Kaʿbah) is like prayer, except that Allah has permitted speech in it.”
Thus, wudu is essential for tawaf.
The Prophet ﷺ prevented menstruating women from performing tawaf, which serves as evidence that a person in major impurity cannot perform it either.
﴿وَلَا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ حَتَّى تَغْتَسِلُوا﴾
“And do not approach the mosque while in a state of janabah—except passing through—until you have bathed.”
Surah al-Nisāʾ 4:43
"لَا أُحِلُّ الْمَسْجِدَ لِحَائِضٍ وَلَا لِجُنُبٍ"
“I do not make the mosque lawful for a menstruating woman or a person in janabah.”
The phrase “إِلَّا عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ” indicates that passing through the masjid is permitted, but sitting is not.
Sayyidunā ʿAlī رضي الله عنه said:
"وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يَحْجُبُهُ عَنْ الْقُرْآنِ شَيْءٌ لَيْسَ الْجَنَابَةَ"
“Nothing prevented the Prophet ﷺ from reciting the Qur’an except janabah.”
"يُقْرِئُنَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ جُنُبًا"
“He (ﷺ) used to teach us the Qur’an in every condition except in a state of janabah.”
"كَانَ النَّبِيُّ... يَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ أَحْيَانِهِ"
“The Prophet ﷺ used to remember Allah in all his conditions.”
It is impermissible for menstruating women or a person in janabah to stay in the masjid, although passing through is allowed.
"يَعْتَزِلُ الْحُيَّضُ الْمُصَلَّى"
“Menstruating women should stay away from the prayer area (musallā).”
ھذا ما عندی، والله أعلم بالصواب
This is what I have, and Allah knows best what is correct.
(Based on Quran and Hadith)
❖ Introduction
Now we will mention those actions which are prohibited for a Muslim unless he or she attains ritual purity, for these acts are associated with sanctity and honor. We shall explain these actions with their evidences so that one remains mindful of them and only performs them after achieving the required state of purity.
We begin with those actions that are forbidden in both minor impurities (حدث اصغر).
◈ Touching the Noble Qur’an
Touching the Qur’an:
A person in a state of impurity must not touch the Qur’an directly without a cover, as Allah says:
﴿لَا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ﴾
“None touch it except the purified.”
Surah al-Wāqiʿah: 56:79
In this verse, “purified” refers to those free from all kinds of impurity. Some scholars interpret this as referring to humans, while others consider it referring to angels.
Even if it refers to angels, the implication includes humans by analogy.
✦ Prophetic Saying: Only a Pure Person Should Touch the Qur’an
"لَا يَمَسُّ الْقُرْآنَ إِلَّا طَاهِرٌ"
“None should touch the Qur’an except a pure person.”
Reference: Sunan al-Dāraqutnī 1/120, Sunan al-Kubrā al-Bayhaqī 1/88, Sunan al-Dāramī 2/112
Imām Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr رحمه الله said:
“This ḥadīth is nearly mutawātir (mass-transmitted), because the scholars have accepted it.”
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله also held the view that it is impermissible to touch the Qur’an without purification.
✔ Permissibility of Holding Qur’an with a Cover
If the Qur’an is in a cover or box, it is permissible to carry it—just not to touch it directly.
◈ Ruling on Prayer for an Impure Person
An impure person who is able to purify himself is not allowed to perform obligatory or voluntary prayers. There is consensus of the Ummah on this matter.
Allah says:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ... وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُوا﴾
“O you who believe! When you rise for prayer, wash your faces... and if you are in a state of major impurity (junub), then purify yourselves.”
Surah al-Mā’idah 5:6
✦ Prophetic Saying: No Prayer Without Purity
"لَا يَقْبَلُ اللهُ صَلَاةً بِغَيْرِ طُهُورٍ"
“Allah does not accept prayer without purification.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 225, Sunan Abī Dāwūd 60
"لَا تُقْبَلُ صَلَاةُ أَحَدِكُمْ، إِذَا أَحْدَثَ حَتَّى يَتَوَضَّأَ"
“The prayer of any one of you is not accepted if he breaks his wudu until he performs wudu again.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 225, Sunan Abī Dāwūd 60
✔ Ruling of Prayer Without Wudu
If water is available and a person prays without performing wudu—whether forgetfully or intentionally—the prayer is invalid.
◈ Tawaf of the Kaʿbah While Impure Is Prohibited
"الطَّوَافُ بِالْبَيْتِ صَلَاةٌ إِلَّا أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَبَاحَ فِيهِ الْكَلَامَ"
“Tawaf of the House (Kaʿbah) is like prayer, except that Allah has permitted speech in it.”
Reference: al-Mustadrak 1/459 Ḥadīth 1686, Tirmidhī 960, Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 9/143–144, Ibn Khuzaymah 4/222 Ḥadīth 2739
Thus, wudu is essential for tawaf.
✦ Menstruating Woman Prohibited from Tawaf
The Prophet ﷺ prevented menstruating women from performing tawaf, which serves as evidence that a person in major impurity cannot perform it either.
◈ Staying in Masjid Prohibited for Junub or Menstruating Woman
﴿وَلَا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ حَتَّى تَغْتَسِلُوا﴾
“And do not approach the mosque while in a state of janabah—except passing through—until you have bathed.”
Surah al-Nisāʾ 4:43
✦ Prophetic Saying
"لَا أُحِلُّ الْمَسْجِدَ لِحَائِضٍ وَلَا لِجُنُبٍ"
“I do not make the mosque lawful for a menstruating woman or a person in janabah.”
Reference: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 232 (Daʿīf), Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah 2/284 Ḥadīth 1327, Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl 1/210 Ḥadīth 193, Authenticated by Shaykh Zubair ʿAlī Zaʾī
✔ Passing Through Is Allowed
The phrase “إِلَّا عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ” indicates that passing through the masjid is permitted, but sitting is not.
◈ Actions Forbidden During Major Impurity (جنابت)
❀ Reciting the Qur’an
Sayyidunā ʿAlī رضي الله عنه said:
"وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يَحْجُبُهُ عَنْ الْقُرْآنِ شَيْءٌ لَيْسَ الْجَنَابَةَ"
“Nothing prevented the Prophet ﷺ from reciting the Qur’an except janabah.”
Reference: Sunan al-Nasāʾī 266, Abī Dāwūd 229, Ibn Mājah 594, Musnad Aḥmad 1/84
❀ Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī Narrates:
"يُقْرِئُنَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ جُنُبًا"
“He (ﷺ) used to teach us the Qur’an in every condition except in a state of janabah.”
Reference: Tirmidhī 146
✔ Dhikr Is Permissible
"كَانَ النَّبِيُّ... يَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ أَحْيَانِهِ"
“The Prophet ﷺ used to remember Allah in all his conditions.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Muʿallaq), Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 373
❖ Sitting in the Masjid
It is impermissible for menstruating women or a person in janabah to stay in the masjid, although passing through is allowed.
✦ Prophetic Command
"يَعْتَزِلُ الْحُيَّضُ الْمُصَلَّى"
“Menstruating women should stay away from the prayer area (musallā).”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 980, Muslim 890, Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1559
ھذا ما عندی، والله أعلم بالصواب
This is what I have, and Allah knows best what is correct.
