Short answer
No. In the Hanafi school a woman in her period or postnatal bleeding may not enter the prayer area of a masjid, not even to pass through, unless there is a real necessity. She may enter areas that are not part of the masjid proper, such as a hall, office or Eid ground.
Haram for a woman in hayd or nifas, and for anyone in janabah, to enter or pass through a masjid without necessity. Places not made a shar'i masjid (a multi-purpose hall, classroom, women's prayer room in an office, an Eid prayer ground) do not take this ruling.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- She may not stay in the masjid but may pass through it if there is no risk of blood soiling it.
- Hanbali
- She may not stay but may pass through if there is no risk of soiling the masjid.
Explanation
The Quran forbids a person in janabah (major impurity) from approaching prayer "except those passing through" until they bathe. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools read this as passing through the masjid, so they allow a quick passage. The Hanafi school reads it as travellers who use tayammum, and takes the ban on entering the masjid from the hadith, applying it to menstruation as well. That is why the Hanafi school does not allow even passing through.
The hadith of Aishah supports this. The Prophet ﷺ asked her to pass him a mat from the masjid. She said she was menstruating, and he replied that her menstruation was not in her hand. The scholars noted that she understood she should not go into the masjid, and he only told her she could reach in with her hand.
What this means in practice:
- Do not go into the prayer hall itself during your period.
- You may go into the parts of an Islamic centre that are not the masjid: the hall, classrooms, the kitchen, the office, the car park. Many centres have a part set aside as masjid and parts that are not. Ask the imam which is which.
- A prayer room at work or college that was never made a masjid has no such restriction.
- For Eid, the Prophet ﷺ told menstruating women to come out to the gathering and stay apart from the place of prayer. They join the dua and the khutbah.
- A teacher or student at a masjid madrasa should ask the imam to arrange a room outside the prayer hall.
If there is a real necessity, such as fear for your safety, you may enter. For what you can do during your period see reading Quran on your period.
The evidence
Quran, Surah An-Nisaa 4:43
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنتُمْ سُكَٰرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَعْلَمُوا۟ مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلَا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِى سَبِيلٍ حَتَّىٰ تَغْتَسِلُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌۭ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءًۭ فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًۭا طَيِّبًۭا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا ﴿٤٣﴾
O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying or in a state of janabah, except those passing through [a place of prayer], until you have washed [your whole body]. And if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and find no water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and your hands [with it]. Indeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving.
Forbids approaching prayer in janabah; the schools differ on whether the exception means passing through the masjid.
Sahih Muslim 298
Sahih... إن حيضتك ليست في يدك ...
"Your menstruation is not in your hand."
Aishah understood that she should not enter the masjid in her period, and the Prophet ﷺ only told her she could reach in with her hand.
Sahih al-Bukhari 324
Sahih... ويعتزل الحيض المصلى ...
"Let the menstruating women witness the good and the gathering of the believers, and keep away from the place of prayer."
Menstruating women attend the Eid gathering but stay away from where the prayer is held.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Taharah, chapter on menstruation and istihadah. Menstruation bars entering the masjid.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Taharah, chapter on menstruation. The Eid ground and funeral prayer ground are not a masjid for this ruling.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.