OUR DIALOGUE

Q: If a person is traveling to Jeddah on business and after he has finished his business, he would like to perform the Umrah, can he start his ihraam in Jeddah, or does he have to go to the meeqat near Taif or Madinah for the purpose?

A: When you travel to Jeddah for business, your intention is not to perform Umrah, although the possibility is in the back of your mind. It is not your primary purpose. Therefore, you carry on with your business. If in the evening you decide to perform Umrah, you start your ihraam at your hotel in Jeddah, or wherever you are staying, or where you have conducted your business. Suppose you come to finalize a deal with a business client, expecting that it may take a couple of hours or a couple of days, but you finish it in half a day, or even less. You have not booked yourself in a hotel or arranged to stay with a friend overnight. You then decide to perform Umrah, you may do so, starting your ihraam wherever you happen to be in Jeddah. This is agreed by all scholars.

Q: Can a woman read the Qur’an when she is in her period? When does she resume reading the Qur’an, if not? Is it true that women should cover themselves in front of non-Muslim women? Should a woman cover her feet?

A: The majority of scholars are of the view that it is not permissible for a woman to read the Qur’an when she is in menstruation. They base their verdict on a Hadith which quotes the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying: “I do not permit the Qur’an for any man who is in the state of ceremonial impurity, i.e. janabah, or any woman in menstruation.” When this state is removed after taking a bath at the end of menstruation, reading the Qur’an is perfectly in order.

Having said that, I should add that some scholars, notably Imam Al-Bukhari, maintain that the Hadiths that prohibit such reading for a woman in her period are not very authentic. Al-Bukhari is quoted as saying: “There is nothing I know that aspires to any high degree of authenticity on this subject.” Therefore, it is very difficult to give any firm view on this matter, but it is perhaps better to conform to the view of the majority of scholars. This is more in keeping on the safe side.

Some scholars are of the view that Muslim women should cover themselves in front of non-Muslim women in the same way as they do in front of men. Their point of evidence is the Qur’anic verse mentioning the people in front of whom a woman need not cover herself. The list includes “their women”, and these scholars interpret this as meaning Muslim women. Other scholars take it to mean all women. Again with covering women’s feet, the point is subject to controversy. However, if we take the Hadith that states that a woman must cover herself with the exception of her face and her hands, we realize that the feet are included in what is to be covered. However, if this causes difficulties, as for women who work in farms, it is permissible to leave the feet uncovered.