Is the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) statement to women regarding the festival prayer, "Let them stay away from the place of prayer," meaning menstruating women, considered evidence that a menstruating woman may not enter the mosque?

The questioner : In the statement of the one upon whom is peace and blessings regarding the festival prayer for women, meaning menstruating women, is this considered evidence that it is not permissible for a menstruating woman to enter the mosque?

The Shaykh : No, "let them stay away from the place of prayer" means staying away from praying with the Muslims because they are menstruating, because the place of prayer is an open area and not an enclosed mosque. So, his statement (peace and blessings be upon him), means praying in the place of prayer because they are menstruating, and it has absolutely no relation to entering the mosque. One of the proofs of this is that the rulings of mosques do not apply to the place of prayer. Some scholars, both past and present, say that it is not permissible for a person in a state of major ritual impurity to enter the mosque, or if the situation is difficult for him, to sit in the mosque while in a state of major ritual impurity, because some of them distinguish between entering and passing through, and entering and sitting; for them, sitting is stronger in terms of prohibition. The point is that the rulings that apply to the mosque are not applied to the place of prayer. The rulings that apply to the mosque are numerous and very numerous; for example, a mosque is not sold or bought, whereas the place of prayer is not like that. A mosque cannot be converted into a house for a person to live in, but the place of prayer can be built and inhabited. If you enter a mosque, it is obligatory, or at least recommended, that you not sit until you pray two units of prayer, but the place of prayer is not like that. Therefore, the known rulings associated with the mosque are not associated with the place of prayer. And so, using this hadith as evidence to prevent a menstruating woman from entering the mosque means opening a door for them that they have no power to close, because in that case, they would be obligated to apply all the rulings of mosques to the place of prayer.