What is the ruling on seeking refuge at the beginning of reciting the Qur'an?
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Question : Honorable Shaykh, is seeking refuge when starting to read the Qur'an obligatory or recommended?
Answer : The scholars of knowledge have differed on this. Some said it is obligatory, and that a person who wants to read the Qur'an must seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan, based on the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:[An-Nahl 16:98] And some said it is recommended, based on the saying of the Prophet: Mishkat al-Masabih 822 And it is not part of al-Fatihah.
But despite that, I advise my Muslim brothers that when they hear the command of Allah and His Messenger, they should not say that this command is for obligation or recommendation, because the Companions did not say this to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). For this reason, Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Ahzab 33:36] The command of Allah.
If you hear Allah commanding, or you hear the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanding, then say "We hear and we obey" and do it. Yes, if a person gets involved in disobedience, then at that time he asks whether the command is for obligation, and he turns to that with repentance, or whether the prohibition is for forbiddance, and he turns to that with repentance. But when the command or prohibition first reaches him, let him say what? "We hear."
Answer : The scholars of knowledge have differed on this. Some said it is obligatory, and that a person who wants to read the Qur'an must seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan, based on the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:
So when you recite the Qur'an, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy].
فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِGod’s Messenger as saying, “He who does not recite Fatihat al-Kitab
صلى الله عليه وسلم لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بفاتحة الكتابBut despite that, I advise my Muslim brothers that when they hear the command of Allah and His Messenger, they should not say that this command is for obligation or recommendation, because the Companions did not say this to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). For this reason, Allah the Exalted said:
It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any
وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْIf you hear Allah commanding, or you hear the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanding, then say "We hear and we obey" and do it. Yes, if a person gets involved in disobedience, then at that time he asks whether the command is for obligation, and he turns to that with repentance, or whether the prohibition is for forbiddance, and he turns to that with repentance. But when the command or prohibition first reaches him, let him say what? "We hear."
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، لقاء[28 من 36] ما حكم الاستعاذة في بداية قراءة القرآن؟!! الشيخ ابن عثيمين - مشروع كبار العلماء — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.