Is it permissible for a menstruating woman to recite the Qur’an absolutely – without touching the Mushaf – even if there is no specific need, provided that this is not considered following one’s whims, especially if abstaining from recitation causes a feeling of hardness of heart, inclination towards worldly matters, and fear?

The preponderant and fatwa (definition)-issued opinion is that it is permissible for a menstruating woman to recite the Qur’an and touch it with a barrier, because there is a need for it, and a Muslim cannot dispense with the Book of Allah. Restricting permissibility to necessity, while there is no evidence for it, is a matter that warrants consideration.