• And I heard Ishaq say: "Recite the Qur'an in all circumstances, unless you are in a state of janabah (major ritual impurity); and enter the mosque in all circumstances, unless you are in a state of janabah. The person in a state of janabah and the menstruating woman may glorify Allah (tasbih) and remember Allah (dhikr). If a man intends to pass through the mosque while he is in a state of janabah and finds no alternative, he should perform tayammum with dust, and then pass through."
He said: "The person in a state of janabah and the menstruating woman shall not recite a single letter—I believe he meant: recitation—unless the person in a state of janabah or the menstruating woman happens upon a letter of the Qur'an while performing tasbih or dhikr. We only said: 'He shall not recite a single letter' because of the statement of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib:
246 - Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan informed us, from 'Amir ibn al-Samt, from Abu al-Ghurayf, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, who said: 'The person in a state of janabah shall not recite even a single letter.'"
He said: Ishaq said: "'Ali is more knowledgeable about this due to his narration from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he used to recite the Qur'an in all circumstances, except for janabah. A letter or two [of what is recited during dhikr] is from the Qur'an, so 'Ali clarified the meaning of the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) intent."
247 - 'Abd al-Salam ibn Mutahhar and Abu 'Umar al-Hawdi narrated to us, they said: Shu'bah narrated to us, from 'Amr ibn Murrah, from 'Abd Allah ibn Salamah, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to relieve himself, then eat meat with us, and recite the Qur'an. Nothing used to stop him—and perhaps he said: withhold him—from reciting the Qur'an, except for janabah."
