Can Women Read Surah Yaseen During Their Period?
According to the Hanafi and Maliki schools, women may recite Surah Yaseen from memory during their menstrual period, as long as they do not physically touch the Mushaf (Quran). The Shafi’i and Hanbali schools are more cautious and prefer women to avoid Quranic recitation during this period. The safest approach is to consult a scholar of your madhab.
The Scholarly Difference of Opinion
This is a genuine and well-documented difference of opinion (khilaf) among the four main schools of Islamic jurisprudence. It is important to approach it with respect for all positions and without declaring one school wrong or deviant — all positions are based on valid scholarly reasoning from the Quran and Sunnah.
Hanafi Position
The Hanafi school, followed by most Muslims in South Asia and Turkey, permits women in the state of menstruation (haydh) or post-natal bleeding (nifas) to recite Quran from memory — without touching the physical Mushaf. This position is based on the principle that the prohibition established in certain narrations applies to touching the Mushaf, not to recitation from memory. Mufti Taqi Usmani and other senior Hanafi scholars affirm this position.
Maliki Position
The Maliki school similarly permits recitation from memory during menstruation. Imam Malik’s position, as recorded in al-Mudawwana, is that a menstruating woman may recite Quran for the purpose of not forgetting what she has memorised, and many Maliki scholars extend this to general recitation. The prohibition is on touching the Mushaf without a barrier.
Shafi’i and Hanbali Positions
Both the Shafi’i and Hanbali schools are more restrictive, holding that Quranic recitation itself — not just touching the Mushaf — is not permitted for a woman in the state of menstruation. Their reasoning is based on hadiths that indicate a person in a state of major impurity (janabah) should not recite the Quran, and they extend this ruling by analogy to menstruation. However, they make exceptions: short phrases from the Quran recited as dua (supplication) rather than recitation are generally permitted.
The practical conclusion: follow your school’s ruling. If you are Hanafi or Maliki, you may recite Surah Yaseen from memory during your period. If you are Shafi’i or Hanbali, it is preferable to wait. In all cases, making dua, doing dhikr, and listening to Quran recitation are permitted and carry full reward. For more on Surah Yaseen practices, see Benefits of Surah Yaseen and Surah Yaseen Wazifa.