Question 862: Is it problematic for a menstruating woman to go to a graveyard?

1.3k 13 Feb 2021
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✅Answer: There is no prohibition in Shia narrations against a menstruating woman going to a graveyard.

What is prohibited includes the following cases:

1 عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْمَرْأَةُ تَقْعُدُ عِنْدَ رَأْسِ الْمَرِيضِ وَ هِيَ حَائِضٌ فِي حَدِّ الْمَوْتِ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ أَنْ تُمَرِّضَهُ فَإِذَا خَافُوا عَلَيْهِ وَ قَرُبَ ذَلِكَ فَلْتَتَنَحَ عَنْهُ وَ عَنْ قُرْبِهِ فَإِنَّ الْمَلَائِكَةَ تَتَأَذَّى بِذَلِكَ.

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 3, p. 138

Ali ibn Abi Hamza said: I said to Imam al-Kazim (peace be upon him): A menstruating woman sits beside a sick person who is at the point of death (i.e., in the throes of death).

The Imam said: There is no problem for her to take care of him, but when they fear for him (from dying) and he is close to death, she should distance herself from him and his vicinity, because the angels are bothered by this matter!

2 عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: لَا تَحْضُرِ الْحَائِضُ الْمَيِّتَ وَ لَا الْجُنُبُ عِنْدَ التَّلْقِينِ وَ لَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَلِيَا غُسْلَهُ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 1, p. 428

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: A menstruating woman and a person in a state of major ritual impurity ('junub') should not be present during the 'talqin' (instruction during the throes of death) of a dying person, but there is no problem for them to take on the responsibility of washing him!

3 الْجَعْفَرِيَّاتُ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ: إِذَا احْتُضِرَ الْمَيِّتُ فَمَا كَانَ مِنِ امْرَأَةٍ حَائِضٍ أَوْ جُنُبٍ فَلْيَقُمْ لِمَوْضِعِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ

📚 Al-Ja'fariyyat p. 204

Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: When a dying person is in the throes of death, every menstruating woman or person in a state of major ritual impurity must leave that place because of the angels (who have come to take the soul)!

✅ According to the above narrations, the presence of a menstruating woman or a 'junub' person at the time of a person's death and during the 'talqin' given to them in the throes of death is prohibited because it bothers the angels. However, they can take on the responsibility of washing the body, and no prohibition has been narrated regarding a menstruating woman or a 'junub' person going to a graveyard or visiting graves.

اللَّهُمَّ فَصَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ