The Holy Quran, the primary source of Islam, was revealed as a universal guide for humanity, built upon the principles of justice, equality, and freedom. Yet throughout history, various human interpretations, cultural accumulations, and fabricated narrations have been mixed into the essence of this divine guide; the enlightened message of the Quran has at times been overshadowed by customs and traditions. One of the most striking of these deviations is the prohibition of women from worshipping during their menstrual period. However, a holistic reading of the Quran clearly reveals that this prohibition does not stem from a divine command, but rather from the infiltration of pre-Islamic cultures and foreign religious practices into Islamic society. The Quran's View on Menstruation: The Concept of "Adhā" The only direct Quranic source touching on the matter of menstruation is verse 222 of Surah Al-Baqarah:
"And they ask you about menstruation. Say: It is adhā, so keep away from women during menstruation, and do not approach them until they are cleansed. When they have cleansed themselves, come to them as Allah has commanded you. Indeed, Allah loves those who repent and those who purify themselves." (Al-Baqarah, 2:222) The word "adhā" used in this verse has most often been interpreted in the Islamic tradition as "filth" or "impurity"; however, this interpretation does not accurately reflect the original semantic range of the word in Arabic. The word "adhā" is used throughout the Quran to mean discomfort, distress, or a painful condition. Indeed, the same root appears in other verses to describe a physical or psychological discomfort. Therefore, the Quran associates the menstrual period not with spiritual or moral impurity, but with a temporary physiological discomfort. The concept of "tahāra," which is translated as "cleanliness" in the traditional exegetical tradition, also deserves separate examination. Although "tahāra" lexically means purification and cleansing, the context in this verse points to the end of a physiological process — that is, recovery from discomfort. The verse commands only abstention from sexual intercourse during this period; no prohibition is imposed concerning prayer, fasting, supplication, or any other act of worship. Looking at the verse as a whole, it is indisputable that the focus of the ruling is on sexual relations between spouses. Had Allah intended a general prohibition encompassing acts of worship, He would have stated this clearly and directly; for the Quran always declares what it forbids in plain language. Historical Deviations: The Legacy of Pre-Islamic Cultures There is strong historical evidence that the worship prohibitions imposed on women during menstruation were nourished by pre-Islamic cultures. In the Zoroastrian tradition, menstruating women were kept away from sacred spaces; during this period, women were effectively placed in a form of social quarantine. Their approach to the sacred fire and participation in religious rituals were strictly forbidden. In Hinduism, a similar understanding prevailed. Menstruating women were forbidden from entering temples, participating in religious ceremonies, and even eating with their families. A woman in this state was considered "polluted" in social terms and was isolated. In the Jewish tradition, Chapter 15 of the Book of Leviticus declares a menstruating woman and everything she touches as "unclean." According to this understanding, anyone who touches a menstruating woman must also undergo a process of purification. The geography across which Islam spread was the crossroads of these three major cultures. These cultural prejudices, which seeped into society through narrations and juristic opinions, were eventually legitimized as though they had a Quranic basis. Yet looking at early Islamic history, there is significant evidence indicating that Muslim women during the time of the Prophet Muhammad did not face such strict prohibitions. This rigidity in practice was shaped in later periods as a product of jurisprudence's intensive contact with cultural environments. The Quranic Principle of Equality: Women and Men Share Equal Responsibility in Worship The Quran recognizes no hierarchy or distinction between women and men regarding the responsibility of worship and divine reward. This principle is explicitly stated in numerous verses: "Whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer — We will surely cause them to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward according to the best of what they used to do." (An-Nahl, 16:97) This verse emphasizes that the reward for faith and righteous deeds is independent of gender. If women were unable to worship during their menstrual periods, which constitute a significant portion of their lives, this would directly contradict this Quranic principle of equality. Because on average, a woman spends approximately fifteen to twenty-five percent of her life in menstrual periods. Keeping women away from acts of worship for such a long duration means permanently placing them behind men in spiritual terms — a view that the entirety of the Quran rejects. The same principle of equality resonates in this verse as well: "Indeed, Muslim men and Muslim women, believing men and believing women, devoutly obedient men and devoutly obedient women..." (Al-Ahzab, 33:35) In this verse, the Quran reinforces, by listing men and women side by side one after another, that both genders bear the same religious responsibilities and obligations. The Authority to Determine What Is Forbidden Belongs to Allah Alone One of the most fundamental principles of Islam is that the authority to determine what is permissible (halal) and what is forbidden (haram) belongs exclusively to Allah. The Quran is extremely clear on this matter: "And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed — it is those who are the disbelievers." (Al-Ma'idah, 5:44) "And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed — it is those who are the wrongdoers." (Al-Ma'idah, 5:45) These verses indicate that prohibitions without a Quranic basis amount to a usurpation of divine authority. When the Quran has not prohibited worship during menstruation, presenting this prohibition as a religious obligation is tantamount to legislating in place of Allah. This is one of the attitudes toward which the Quran directs its most severe criticism. Indeed, the Quran does not even grant the Prophet Muhammad the authority to forbid something without Allah's permission: "O Prophet! Why do you prohibit yourself from what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking the approval of your wives?" (At-Tahrim, 66:1) This verse reveals, in a most striking manner, the Quranic sensitivity regarding the determination of prohibitions and who the exclusive holder of that authority is. An Epistemological Critique of the Traditional Understanding The primary source upon which the views prohibiting worship during menstruation rest is hadith narrations. However, from a Quran-centered epistemological standpoint, these narrations lose their validity at points where they contradict the Quran. For while the Quran describes itself as "a clarification of all things" (An-Nahl, 16:89) and as a preserved book, the hadith corpus has, throughout history, been contaminated by numerous fabricated and weak narrations. The Quran warns Muslims against this danger as follows: "And they will say: 'Our Lord, indeed we obeyed our masters and our dignitaries, and they led us astray from the right path.'" (Al-Ahzab, 33:67) This verse draws attention to how dangerous blind adherence to authority can be. No matter how respected religious authorities may be, their views must be tested against the explicit text of the Quran. A prohibition not found in the Quran cannot be introduced into religious life solely on the basis of scholarly consensus. A Scientific Perspective: A Physiological Process Cannot Be a Spiritual Obstacle Modern medicine defines the menstrual period as an entirely normal and healthy physiological process. The United Nations and many other international institutions have explicitly stated that excluding women from social, public, or spiritual spheres on the grounds of menstruation constitutes a form of discrimination. The Quran's characterization of this process as "adhā" — a discomfort — is consistent with this scientific reality: the condition in question is not an impurity but a physiological process. Worship is the deepest and most personal connection between a human being and Allah. From a Quranic perspective, there exists no physiological condition that should prevent a woman from establishing this connection. The Holy Quran prohibits only sexual intercourse during the menstrual period; it imposes no restriction whatsoever on worship. Understandings that prevent women from performing prayers, fasting, or other acts of worship during this period have no Quranic foundation. These prohibitions are a legacy infiltrated into Islamic society from pre-Islamic cultures and from Jewish, Zoroastrian, and Hindu traditions. The Quran places women and men on a completely equal footing with regard to the responsibility of worship. Repeatedly emphasizing that the authority to determine what is forbidden belongs solely to Allah, the Quran adopts a firm stance against the usurpation of this authority by human interpretations. Accordingly, it is an obligation for Muslims to take the Quran — not tradition — as their basis in this matter; to question, by the Quranic standard, every practice that restricts women's right to worship. Truly returning to the Quran requires reading it free from all presuppositions, carefully distinguishing cultural accumulation from the divine message, and ultimately recognizing no human-made barrier as legitimate in the connection each Muslim establishes with Allah. This path is the authentic expression of both individual emancipation and the universal principle of justice in Islam.
