Question 318: Can a person in a state of janabah (ritual impurity due to sexual intercourse or ejaculation) and a woman in menstruation enter a mosque or visit the graves of the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them?

152 13 Feb 2021
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Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:

1️⃣عَنْ بَكْرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَ: خَرَجْنَا مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ نُرِيدُ مَنْزِلَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه فَلَحِقَنَا أَبُو بَصِيرٍ خَارِجاً مِنْ زُقَاقٍ وَ هُوَ جُنُبٌ‏ وَ نَحْنُ لَا نَعْلَمُ حَتَّى دَخَلْنَا عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ إِلَى أَبِي بَصِيرٍ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَ مَا تَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لَا يَنْبَغِي لِجُنُبٍ‏ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ بُيُوتَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَ الْأَوْصِيَاءِ قَالَ فَرَجَعَ أَبُو بَصِيرٍ وَ دَخَلْنَا

Basa'ir al-Darajat, p. 261

Translation: Bakr ibn Muhammad said: 'We left Medina and intended to go to the house of Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him. Abu Basir, while in a state of janabah, joined us outside the alley, and we did not know that he was in a state of janabah until we entered upon Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him. The Imam raised his blessed head towards Abu Basir and said: 'O Abu Muhammad, do you not know that it is not appropriate for a person in a state of janabah to enter the houses of the prophets and their successors?' So Abu Basir returned and we entered.'

Entry of a person in a state of janabah into the houses of the prophets and their successors

2️⃣في حديث آخر قال له الصادق... يَا أَبَا بَصِيرٍ أَ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ بُيُوتَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَ أَوْلَادِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ لَا يَدْخُلُهَا الْجُنُبُ‏ فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ وَ قُلْتُ لَهُ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ إِنِّي لَقِيتُ أَصْحَابَنَا فَخَشِيتُ أَنْ يَفُوتَنِي الدُّخُولُ مَعَهُمْ وَ لَنْ أَعُودَ إِلَى مِثْلِهَا وَ خَرَجْتُ

Al-Irshad, p. 273

Translation: In another hadith, it is narrated that Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said to Abu Basir: 'Do you not know that a person in a state of janabah does not enter the houses of the prophets and the children of the prophets?' Abu Basir said: 'I felt ashamed and said: 'O son of the Messenger of Allah, I met the companions and feared that entering your presence with them would be missed, and I will never return to such a thing again,' and I went out.'

As for the entry of a menstruating woman and a person in a state of janabah into mosques:

3 عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ دَرَّاجٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: لِلْجُنُبِ أَنْ يَمْشِيَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ كُلِّهَا وَ لَا يَجْلِسُ فِيهَا إِلَّا الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ وَ مَسْجِدَ الرَّسُولِ

Al-Kafi, vol. 3, p. 50

Translation: Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: 'A person in a state of janabah can walk through all mosques (pass through them) but should not sit down, except for the Masjid al-Haram and the Masjid al-Rasul (into which they can neither enter nor sit down).'

4 عَنْ زُرَارَةَ وَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ قَالا قُلْنَا لَهُ الْحَائِضُ وَ الْجُنُبُ‏ يَدْخُلَانِ‏ الْمَسْجِدَ أَمْ لَا قَالَ الْحَائِضُ وَ الْجُنُبُ‏ لَا يَدْخُلَانِ‏ الْمَسْجِدَ إِلَّا مُجْتَازَيْنِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ‏ وَ لا جُنُباً إِلَّا عابِرِي سَبِيلٍ حَتَّى‏ تَغْتَسِلُوا

Translation: Zurarah and Muhammad ibn Muslim said: 'We said to Imam Baqir, peace be upon him: 'Can a menstruating woman and a person in a state of janabah enter a mosque or not?' He said: 'A menstruating woman and a person in a state of janabah cannot enter mosques except as passersby. Indeed, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says:

'...nor in a state of janabah, unless you are just passing through, until you have performed ghusl.'

Ilal al-Shara'i, p. 288

5 عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ الْجُنُبُ‏ وَ الْحَائِضُ ..... يَدْخُلَانِ‏ الْمَسْجِدَ مُجْتَازَيْنِ وَ لَا يَقْعُدَانِ فِيهِ وَ لَا يَقْرَبَانِ الْمَسْجِدَيْنِ الْحَرَمَيْنِ

Tahdhib, vol. 1, p. 371

Translation: Imam Baqir, peace be upon him, said: 'A person in a state of janabah and a menstruating woman can enter a mosque as a passerby but should not sit down, and they should not approach the mosques of the two sanctuaries (Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Nabi).'

From the above narrations, it is clear that a person in a state of janabah should not go to the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, and should not enter the houses of the prophets and their successors.

Likewise, a menstruating woman and a person in a state of janabah should not enter any of the mosques except as a passerby and do not have the right to sit in any mosque. However, regarding the Masjid al-Haram and the Masjid al-Nabi, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, a person in a state of janabah and a menstruating woman should not enter these two mosques even as a passerby.

Regarding the entry of a menstruating woman to the graves of the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, no specific or general hadith has been narrated, and its ruling cannot be deduced by analogy with the ruling on a person in a state of janabah. Therefore, there is no prohibition for them to go to visit the graves of the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, and they only need to be careful not to sit in the mosques that are located around the graves of the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them. Because no specific or general text has been narrated prohibiting a menstruating woman from entering the houses of the prophets and their successors, there is no need to prevent them from visiting the graves of the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them.