Is it permissible for someone who is not in a state of ritual purity to touch a Mushaf (copy of the Quran) that is heavily covered with cloth, or to touch the edges of its pages? Is it permissible for a menstruating woman to read books of Tafsir (Quranic exegesis)? And when is a book of Tafsir considered a Mushaf, such that it is impermissible to touch?

It is not permissible for a person in a state of ritual impurity (muhdith) to touch the Qur’an, according to the majority of jurists, based on the hadith: "None should touch the Qur’an except one who is pure." The cover of the Mus'haf, if it is attached to it, takes the ruling of the Mus'haf, as do the edges of the pages. As for a separate cover, it is permissible to touch it without ritual purity. Similarly, it is permissible to touch the Mus'haf with a separate barrier, such as gloves. It is permissible for a person in a state of ritual impurity to touch books of tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis), provided that the tafsir is more extensive than the Qur’an itself. It is also permissible for a person not in a state of ablution to touch translations and commentaries of the Qur’an.