What is Permissible and What is Forbidden for a Woman in Menstruation

Question: This is a letter from the brother in Allah, Abdullah al-Sulayman, from Riyadh. He says: Some girls assume that a menstruating woman has become ritually impure, so it is not permissible for her to engage in dhikr (remembrance of Allah) or to listen to the Qur'an, and that she should instead turn to listening to singing and entertainment. We ask for clarification of this ruling, and what is also permissible for a menstruating woman?

Answer:
This assumption is not appropriate. For a menstruating woman, it is prescribed to do what is prescribed for others: the remembrance of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), His glorification, praise, saying Allahu Akbar, seeking forgiveness, and repentance. She may listen to the Qur'an from one who recites it, listen to knowledge, participate in circles of knowledge, listen to what is broadcast from circles of knowledge and circles of the Qur'an, and benefit from them just as others do.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to a menstruating woman: He commanded her to do what the pilgrims do: the talbiyah, dhikr, and all other lawful acts, except for tawaf (circumambulation). This indicates that a menstruating woman is like others: she may ston the pillars, recite the talbiyah, remember Allah, glorify Him, praise Him, say Allahu Akbar, and seek forgiveness. That is, she does everything except tawaf if she is in the state of ihram for Hajj or 'Umrah until she becomes pure.
Likewise, in her home, she should use whatever she can of the remembrance of Allah His glorification, His praise, His declaration of His oneness, His magnification, seeking forgiveness, calling to Allah, enjoining good and forbidding evil, teaching knowledge, reviewing hadiths, and so on.
As for reading the Qur'an, there is scholarly disagreement. Some scholars hold that she is prohibited from reading the Qur'an. The second opinion is that she is not prohibited from reading the Qur'an from memory. This is the closer and more apparent view; because she may read the Qur'an from memory without touching the mushaf (written copy of the Qur'an), just as a female teacher teaches girls the Qur'an from memory, and just as a student who needs to read the Qur'an without touching the mushaf.
The correct view is that there is no harm in her reading from memory; because the duration of menstruation is long, and so is post-natal bleeding, unlike the state of janabah (major ritual impurity). But a menstruating woman needs days and nights, not by her choice, and so is a woman with post-natal bleeding, which is even longer. Therefore, the correct view is that there is no harm on her in reading the Qur'an from memory, not from the mushaf.
By this, you know that a menstruating woman participates in all good, and is not prevented from anything except touching the mushaf and prayer; because she does not pray or fast until she finishes her menstruation and post-natal bleeding, and then she makes up the fast, but not the prayer. She is not required to make up the prayer, for Allah has forgiven her. Allah has forgiven menstruating women and women with post-natal bleeding regarding prayer, so they do not make it up, and it is not obligatory on them during the period of menstruation and post-natal bleeding. But the fast, she makes it up after her purity, and after Ramadan she makes up the days she did not fast.
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked, and a woman said to her: O Mother of the Believers! Why do we make up the fast but not the prayer? Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said to her: meaning from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He used to command them to make up the fast and did not command them to make up the prayer. By this, it is known that the fast is made up and the prayer is not made up. This is a point of consensus among Muslims, for the scholars have agreed that prayer is not made up for a menstruating woman or a woman with post-natal bleeding, but they make up the fast only, meaning the fast of Ramadan.

In conclusion: It is prescribed for a menstruating woman and a woman with post-natal bleeding to remember Allah, glorify Him, praise Him, say Allahu Akbar, attend circles of knowledge, listen to the Qur'an from one who recites it, listen attentively to it, and participate in all good, except that she does not pray until she becomes pure, and does not fast until she becomes pure, and does not read the Qur'an from the mushaf. As for reading from memory, the correct view is that it is permissible for her to do so, according to the most correct of the scholars' opinions, especially when there is a need. Yes.