How strong is the Hadith about a menstruating woman not entering Masjid?

The Hadith about a menstruating woman not entering the Masjid is Hasan according to Ibn al-Qataan and others.

عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا تَقُولُ: جَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَوُجُوهُ بُيُوتِ أَصْحَابِهِ شَارِعَةٌ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، فَقَالَ: «وَجِّهُوا هَذِهِ الْبُيُوتَ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ». ثُمَّ دَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَلَمْ يَصْنَعِ الْقَوْمُ شَيْئًا رَجَاءَ أَنْ تَنْزِلَ فِيهِمْ رُخْصَةٌ، فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ بَعْدُ فَقَالَ: وَجِّهُوا هَذِهِ الْبُيُوتَ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ، فَإِنِّي لَا أُحِلُّ الْمَسْجِدَ لِحَائِضٍ وَلَا جُنُبٍ

(Sayidah) Aishah (May Allah Most High be pleased with her) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came and saw that the doors of the houses of his Companions were opening into the Masjid. So he ﷺ said: ‘Turn these houses away from the Masjid.’ The Prophet ﷺ later entered and the people had not done anything hoping that some concession might be revealed. So he ﷺ went to them and said, ‘Turn these houses away from the Masjid, for I do not make the Masjid lawful for a menstruating woman, nor for a person in a state a Janabah (major ritual impurity). (Abu Dawood 232, Hasan).

This narration is a clear proof for the Hanafi position that a menstruating woman is not permitted to enter a Masjid. But some have argued that it is not authentic. Therefore it cannot serve as evidence. This is an important contention since the authenticity of Hadith narrations must be proven when using them as evidence. However, this contention is not upheld, since many Imams of Hadith have considered the Hadith about menstruating women not entering the Masjid to be Hasan.

فَإِنِّي لَا أَحِلُّ الْمَسْجِدَ لِحَائِضٍ وَلَا جُنُبٍ، انْتَهَى. وَهُوَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ. (نصب الراية)

For I do not make the Masjid lawful for a menstruating woman, nor for a person in a state a Janabah (major ritual impurity). It is a Hasan Hadith. (Imam Jamal al-Deen al-Zayla’i, Nasb al-Rayah).

وَعَن عَائِشَة رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْها قَالَت قَالَ رَسُول الله صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم اني لَا أحل الْمَسْجِد لحائض وَلَا جنب رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد وَقَالَ ابْن الْقطَّان حسن. (تحفة المحتاج إلى أدلة المنهاج)

Narrated by (Sayidah) Aishah May Allah Most High be pleased with her, she said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘I do not make the Masjid lawful for a menstruating woman, nor for a person in a state a Janabah (major ritual impurity).’ Abu Dawood narrated it and Ibn al-Qataan said it is Hasan. (Imam Ibn al-Mulaqin, Tuhfatu al-Muhtaaj).

وقال ابن القطان في “كتابه “: قال أبو محمد عبد الحق في حديث جسرة هذا أنه لا يثبت من قبل إسناده، ولم يبين ضعفه ولست أقول: إنه حديث صحيح، وإنما أقول: إنه حسن. (البناية شرح الهداية)

And Ibn al-Qataan said in his book: Abu Muhammad Abd al-Haqq said, ‘The Hadith has Jasrah (in the chain), it is not established from the perspective of the chain.’ He did not clarify the specific weakness. However, I do not say it is a Sahih Hadith, rather I say it is Hasan. (Imam al-Ayni, al-Binayah, Sharh al-Hidaayah).

As we see above numerous Imams of Hadith have considered the Hadith about menstruating women not entering the Masjid to be Hasan. A Hasan Hadith is used for legal rulings and it is obligatory to accept it as authentic.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen (17.02.2022)

See also:
What do the Hadith gradings mean?
Women in menses entering a Masjid
The verse about not entering the Masjid in a state of impurity.
Is a room connected to the prayer area considered part of the Masjid?

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