Can I read the Quran without wudu or during my period?

The short answer

Reciting the Quran from memory without wudu is allowed; the Prophet ﷺ recited it before making wudu and remembered Allah at all times. Most scholars require wudu to touch a printed mushaf. On reciting during menstruation scholars differ: the majority restrict it, while the Malikis and others allow it.

Evidence 1 2 3 4 5

Explanation

This is an area where the four madhhabs differ, so it helps to separate three questions.

Reciting from memory without wudu. This is permitted. Ibn Abbas described the Prophet ﷺ waking at night, reciting the last ten verses of Surat Al Imran, and only then going to make wudu 1. Aishah said he "used to remember Allah at all moments" 2.

Touching the mushaf. Allah says of the Quran: "None touch it except the purified" 3. The Mukhtasar tafsir explains that this verse refers to the angels touching the heavenly Record 4. Most scholars, however, hold that a person should be in wudu to touch the written mushaf, out of respect for it and based on a reported letter of the Prophet ﷺ that is not among the hadith admitted on this site. Many contemporary scholars treat reading on a phone or screen differently, since one is not touching a mushaf.

Menstruation. The Prophet ﷺ "used to lean on my lap and recite Qur'an while I was in menses," said Aishah 5, which shows that being near a menstruating woman does not prevent recitation. Whether she herself may recite is where the schools differ (see the note below).

Whatever position you follow, a woman on her period can still stay connected to the Quran: listen to recitation, read translation and tafsir, make dhikr and dua, and return to her normal recitation when she is pure.

The evidence

  1. 1
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 183
    Sahih Bukhari

    The Prophet ﷺ recited the last ten verses of Al Imran on waking, before making wudu.

    Narrated `Abdullah bin `Abbas:That he stayed overnight in the house of Maimuna the wife of the Prophet, his aunt. He added: I lay on the bed (cushion transversally) while Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and his wife lay in the lengthwise direction of the cushion. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) slept till the middle of the night, either a bit before or a bit after it and then woke up, rubbing the traces of sleep off his face with his hands. He then, recited the last ten verses of Sura Al-`Imran, got up and went to a hanging water-skin. He then Performed the ablution from it and it was a perfect ablution, and then stood up to offer the prayer. I, too, got up and did as the Prophet had done. Then I went and stood by his side. He placed his right hand on my head and caught my right ear and twisted it. He prayed two rak`at, then two rak`at and then two rak`at and then two rak`at and then two rak`at and then two rak`at (separately six times), and finally one rak`a (the witr). Then he lay down again in the bed till the Mu'adh-dhin came to him where upon the Prophet (ﷺ) got up, offered a two light rak`at prayer and went out and led the Fajr prayer

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ مَخْرَمَةَ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ كُرَيْبٍ، مَوْلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ، بَاتَ لَيْلَةً عِنْدَ مَيْمُونَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهِيَ خَالَتُهُ فَاضْطَجَعْتُ فِي عَرْضِ الْوِسَادَةِ، وَاضْطَجَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَهْلُهُ فِي طُولِهَا، فَنَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَتَّى إِذَا انْتَصَفَ اللَّيْلُ، أَوْ قَبْلَهُ بِقَلِيلٍ أَوْ بَعْدَهُ بِقَلِيلٍ، اسْتَيْقَظَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَجَلَسَ يَمْسَحُ النَّوْمَ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ بِيَدِهِ، ثُمَّ قَرَأَ الْعَشْرَ الآيَاتِ الْخَوَاتِمَ مِنْ سُورَةِ آلِ عِمْرَانَ، ثُمَّ قَامَ إِلَى شَنٍّ مُعَلَّقَةٍ، فَتَوَضَّأَ مِنْهَا فَأَحْسَنَ وُضُوءَهُ، ثُمَّ قَامَ يُصَلِّي‏.‏ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَقُمْتُ فَصَنَعْتُ مِثْلَ مَا صَنَعَ، ثُمَّ ذَهَبْتُ، فَقُمْتُ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ، فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ الْيُمْنَى عَلَى رَأْسِي، وَأَخَذَ بِأُذُنِي الْيُمْنَى، يَفْتِلُهَا، فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ أَوْتَرَ، ثُمَّ اضْطَجَعَ، حَتَّى أَتَاهُ الْمُؤَذِّنُ، فَقَامَ، فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ خَفِيفَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَصَلَّى الصُّبْحَ‏.‏

  2. 2
    Hadith Sahih Muslim 373
    Sahih Muslim

    The Prophet ﷺ remembered Allah at all times.

    A'isha said:The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) used to remember Allah at all moments

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُوسَى قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ خَالِدِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ، عَنِ الْبَهِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ أَحْيَانِهِ ‏.‏

  3. 3
    Quran Al-Waaqia · 56:77–80

    A noble Quran in a protected Record, which none touch except the purified.

    إِنَّهُۥ لَقُرۡءَانࣱ كَرِيمࣱ‏ ۝٧٧ فِي كِتَٰبࣲ مَّكۡنُونࣲ‏ ۝٧٨ لَّا يَمَسُّهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱلۡمُطَهَّرُونَ ۝٧٩ تَنزِيلࣱ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ۝٨٠

    77 Indeed, it is a noble Qur'an 78 In a Register well-protected 79 None touch it except the purified 80 [It is] a revelation from the Lord of the worlds

  4. 4
    Tafsir Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir al-Quran · 56:79

    Only the angels, pure of sin and defects can touch it.

  5. 5
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 297
    Sahih Bukhari

    The Prophet ﷺ recited the Quran while resting in Aishah's lap during her menses.

    Narrated `Aisha:The Prophet (ﷺ) used to lean on my lap and recite Qur'an while I was in menses

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ الْفَضْلُ بْنُ دُكَيْنٍ، سَمِعَ زُهَيْرًا، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ ابْنِ صَفِيَّةَ، أَنَّ أُمَّهُ، حَدَّثَتْهُ أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ حَدَّثَتْهَا أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَتَّكِئُ فِي حَجْرِي وَأَنَا حَائِضٌ، ثُمَّ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ‏.‏

This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24

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