Respect for the Sacred Shrines has always held a special place among Shi'a Muslims. Some Imami jurists, emphasizing the sanctity of these sites, have deemed them analogous to mosques. Accordingly, they hold that while it is permissible for menstruating women to pass through such shrines, their halting or remaining there is prohibited. The main arguments supporting this position include the application of the term “mosque” to the shrines, their superiority over ordinary mosques, the obligation of honoring them, the established Shi’a tradition, and certain narrations forbidding the entry of the ritually impure (junub) into the houses of the Prophets and Imams (peace be upon them).
This study employs a descriptive-analytical method, drawing on library sources to critically examine these arguments. The findings suggest that most of the cited evidence is either weak in chain of transmission or insufficiently indicative to establish a ruling of prohibition. Moreover, the default legal principle supports permissibility. Nevertheless, these arguments may justify the disliked (makruh) nature of halting in such shrines, provided the presence is not perceived as disrespectful. However, if perceived as desecration, it would indeed be deemed forbidden. Should one accept the strength of these arguments, the shrines would be akin to Masjid al-Haram and the Prophet’s Mosque, rendering even passing through them impermissible
Arabshahe,M , Maleki,M and Sedighian Kakhki,S M . (2025). A Critical Analysis of the Notion of Prohibition on Menstruating Women's Halt in Sacred Shrines. (e47664). Fiqh and Usul, (), e47664 doi: 10.22067/jfiqh.2025.94676.2025
MLA
Arabshahe,M , , Maleki,M , and Sedighian Kakhki,S M . "A Critical Analysis of the Notion of Prohibition on Menstruating Women's Halt in Sacred Shrines" .e47664 , Fiqh and Usul, , , 2025, e47664. doi: 10.22067/jfiqh.2025.94676.2025
HARVARD
Arabshahe M, Maleki M, Sedighian Kakhki S M. (2025). 'A Critical Analysis of the Notion of Prohibition on Menstruating Women's Halt in Sacred Shrines', Fiqh and Usul, (), e47664. doi: 10.22067/jfiqh.2025.94676.2025
CHICAGO
M Arabshahe, M Maleki and S M Sedighian Kakhki, "A Critical Analysis of the Notion of Prohibition on Menstruating Women's Halt in Sacred Shrines," Fiqh and Usul, (2025): e47664, doi: 10.22067/jfiqh.2025.94676.2025
VANCOUVER
Arabshahe M, Maleki M, Sedighian Kakhki S M. A Critical Analysis of the Notion of Prohibition on Menstruating Women's Halt in Sacred Shrines. JFU. 2025;():e47664 (In Persian). doi: 10.22067/jfiqh.2025.94676.2025
