Is it haraam for a woman who is junub to cook or touch things?

Praise be to Allaah.

There is no set time limit within which a woman who is junub has to do ghusl. It has to do with the performance of prayers and other acts of worship where tahaarah (purity) is required. There is no harm in delaying ghusl until the time for the next prayer comes, so long as the prayer before it has been performed in a state of tahaarah. But it is recommended for the Muslim to hasten to do ghusl so that he will always be in a state of tahaarah, as is the Sunnah, and because the angels do not come near a person who is junub. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are three things which the angels do not approach: the dead body of a kaafir, a man who has perfumed himself with saffron (because this is frivolous and foolish behaviour, and is an imitation of women – Qayd al-Qadeer, 3/325), and a person who is junub, until he does ghusl.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4180; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 3522).

If a woman is busy and it is not easy for her to do ghusl from janaabah straight after intercourse, this does not affect her and she is not naajis. It is sufficient for her to do wudoo’, to reduce the janaabah and so that the angels will come near her.

The claim that some people make, that it is haraam for a woman who is junub to touch things and to do certain things, is all innovated (bid’ah) and false ideas which have no basis in Islam. This false belief is based on false and fabricated ahaadeeth that have been narrated on this topic. Shaykh al-Shuqairi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: among these false ideas is the notion that if a woman who is junub kneads dough, it become corrupt because of her janaabah, and that the barakah (blessing) will vanish from everything her hand touches. (Al-Sunan wa’l-Mubtada’aat, p. 31).

A similar question was submitted to al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah wa’l-Buhooth (5/318 – al-Fataawaa). The text of their response is as follows:

Praise be to Allaah Alone, and blessings and peace be upon His Messenger and his family and companions.

Yes, it is permissible for a person – whether a man or a woman – who is junub to touch things such as clothes, plates, pots, etc., before doing ghusl, because this person is not naajis and does not make the things he or she touches naajis. It was reported in a saheeh hadeeth that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) was with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) one day; then he withdrew from him, then he came back. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to him: “Where were you, O Abu Hurayrah?” He said, “I was junub and I did not want to sit with you when I was not taahir (pure).” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Subhaan Allaah, a Muslim does not become naajis.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1/333).

And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions and grant them peace.