Is it permitted for women in menses to enter a Masjid?

No, it is prohibited for women in menses to enter a Masjid. However, one must differentiate between a room or hall that has the Hukm of a Masjid and one that does not.

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).

The Hadith above is clear evidence for the position of the Hanafi Madhab that women in menses cannot enter a masjid. The Hadith is authentic (see the link below for details). However, people who discuss this issue must be able to differentiate between a room or hall that has the Hukm of a Masjid and one that does not. Otherwise they may misunderstand or misrepresent this Shariah ruling.

There is evidence that proves the prohibition of menstruating women entering a Masjid in the Holy Quran too. However, that requires some explanation.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلاةَ وَأَنْتُمْ سُكَارَى حَتَّى تَعْلَمُوا مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلا جُنُبًا إِلا عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ حَتَّى تَغْتَسِلُوا

O you who have believed, do not approach Salah whilst you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying, nor in a state of Janabah (major ritual impurity). Except those passing through, (others are not permitted) until they have washed themselves. (Surah al-Nisa, 43).

In the verse above we are prohibited from approaching ‘Salah’ in a state of Janabah. Salah normally refers to the ritual prayer. However many great scholars, including Sahabah, have interpreted it to mean the place of prayer, namely the Masjid, in the verse above. The words ‘Except those passing through’ support this interpretation, since you do not pass through Salah but you do pass through a Masjid.

عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْكَرِيمِ الْجَزَرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُرَخِّصُ لِلجُنُبِ أَنْ يَمُرَّ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ مُجْتَازًا، وَلَا أَعْلَمُهُ إِلَّا قَالَ: وَلَا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ

Abd al-Razaaq narrated from Ma’mar, from Abd al-Kareem al-Jazari, from Abi Ubaydah bin Abdillah from Ibn Masood, that he used permit a person in Janabah (major ritual impurity) to walk through a Masjid swiftly. And he used to mention, ‘And neither a person in Janabah (major ritual impurity) unless he is passing through.’ (Musanaf Abd al-Razzaaq).

Sayidina Abdullah Ibn Masood (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) is one of the greatest companions of the holy Prophet ﷺ, and he understood the verse to be referring to Masaajid not the ritual prayer, many other Sahabah also held this opinion (see the link below for details). Therefore, the verse may also be cited as evidence for the Hanafi position. Namely, that a woman in menses cannot enter a Masjid. This is because the prohibition upon a person in Janabah (major ritual impurity) can easily be extended to a woman in menses through Qiyas (legal analogy).

(وَلَا تَدْخُلُ الْمَسْجِدَ)

كَذَا الْجُنُبُ لِقَوْلِهِ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «فَإِنِّي لَا أُحِلُّ الْمَسْجِدَ لِحَائِضٍ وَلَا جُنُبٍ». (الهداية في شرح بداية المبتدي)

And she (a woman in menses) cannot enter a Masjid. Likewise a person in Janabah (major ritual impurity). Due to his ﷺ words, ‘ Indeed I do not make the Masjid lawful for a menstruating woman, nor for a person in a state a Janabah (major ritual impurity)’. (Imam al-Marghinani, al-Hidaayah).

    (وَدُخُولَ مَسْجِدٍ وَالطَّوَافَ)

أَيْ يَمْنَعُ الْحَيْضُ دُخُولَ الْمَسْجِدِ. (تبيين الحقائق شرح كنز الدقائق)

And entering a Masjid or performing Tawaf. Meaning a woman in menses is prevented from entering a Masjid. (Imam Fakhr al-Deen al-Zayla’i, Tabyeen al-Haqaaiq).

وَلَيْسَ لِلْحَائِضِ مَسُّ الْمُصْحَفِ وَلَا دُخُولُ الْمَسْجِدِ. (المبسوط)

And a woman in menses cannot touch the Mushaf (copy of the Holy Quran), nor enter a Masjid. (Imam Shams al-Aimah al-Sarakhsi, al-Mabsoot).

In the Nusoos (texts) above we see the position of the Hanafi Madhab. Women in a state of menstruation cannot enter the Masjid. However, one must differentiate between that which is legally a Masjid and that which is not (see the link below for more details).

And Allah Most High Knows Best

-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen (17.02.2022)

See also:
Is a room connected to the prayer area considered part of the Masjid?
How strong is the Hadith about a menstruating woman not entering the Masjid?
The verse about not entering the Masjid in a state of impurity.

See also (video):