Guidelines for Women Teaching in Mosques During Menstruation

Navigating Teaching Responsibilities in Mosques: Menstruation and Alternative Solutions

Question: If a woman is teaching other women in the mosque and there is no other female teacher available, or she has a program at the mosque and she gets her period, what should she do? As a teacher, if she doesn’t go to the mosque during her menstruation, the students will be greatly affected, and if the program is canceled, all preparations will go to waste. Can she stand in a corner of the mosque or at the back row during her menstruation and continue teaching or conducting the program?

Answer: The fundamental issue here is that selecting a mosque as a permanent place for women’s education is incorrect because the problem of menstruation is not a one-time issue but a monthly one. It affects not just the teacher but also all the mature students, as menstruation is something that will happen regularly to both the teacher and the students. In such a case, choosing a mosque for this purpose is not correct because it is not permissible for a menstruating woman to remain in the mosque. Therefore, an alternative location should be selected, outside the mosque, where menstruating women can stay.

As for the current program in the mosque where the teacher is menstruating, canceling the program will not result in a significant loss. If another knowledgeable woman is available to fill in, that’s fine; otherwise, the program should be canceled. If canceling the program is not desired, then it should be moved to a location outside the mosque.

Respondent: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi Hafizahullah 

Jeddah Dawah Center, Saudi Arabia  

Interpreter: Hasan Fuzail