In Islam, a menstruating woman is not considered dirty, but rather ritually impure. This ritual impurity is a temporary state, not a judgment of her inherent cleanliness. It restricts her from certain acts of worship, such as prayer and fasting, until she is ritually purified after her period concludes. The blood itself is not considered inherently impure in the sense of being unclean or disgusting, but its presence prevents the fulfillment of specific religious obligations.
Several sources confirm this distinction:
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IslamQA.info states that a menstruating woman is not naajis (impure) as long as her clothes are free from other impure substances. https://islamqa.info/en/answers/1852/a-menstruating-woman-is-not-naajis-impure
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A study published in PMC notes that "Among the Muslims, a menstruating woman is not dirty; rather she is ritually impure for the duration of her menstruation." https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9794040/ This clarifies that the impurity is a specific religious status, not a statement about cleanliness.
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Reddit discussions highlight the temporary nature of this ritual impurity, explaining that bleeding (including menstrual bleeding) prevents certain actions like touching the Quran or praying until ritual purity is restored. https://www.reddit.com/r/progressive_islam/comments/1bbiw3g/the-belief-that-women-are-dirty-during/
It's crucial to differentiate between ritual purity within a religious context and the concept of hygiene and cleanliness. Menstrual blood, while triggering a specific ritual state in Islam, is not considered inherently unclean or contaminating in a general sense.
