What do you say about the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): "No one touches the Qur'an except one who is in a state of purity"?

The questioner : A questioner asks, saying: What do you say about the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) ?

The Shaykh : We had previously detailed the tracing of this hadith, I believe, in *Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah* (The Chain of Authentic Hadiths), and we clarified that it is an authentic hadith based on the totality of its chains. However, does it contain an indication that it is forbidden for a Muslim to touch the Qur'an while in a state of ritual impurity? It is known that a Muslim is pure even if he is in a state of major ritual impurity, because it is authentically reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said . This is a hadith narrated by al-Bukhari in his *Sahih*, in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to a group of Companions, among whom were Abu Hurayrah and, in another narration, Hudhayfah. Abu Hurayrah slipped out of the gathering and then returned with his head dripping with water. The Messenger (peace be upon him) asked him about the reason for his slipping out and withdrawing. He said: "O Messenger of Allah, I was in a state of major ritual impurity". It was as if he was saying that he found it inappropriate to sit with you, O Messenger of Allah, or to shake hands with you while in a state of major ritual impurity. He (peace be upon him) said: , meaning that it was not necessary for you to be so cautious, because a Muslim is pure even if he is in a state of major ritual impurity; he does not become ritually impure.

The Shaykh : If that is the case, and it is indeed so, then his (peace be upon him) saying is interpreted by the aforementioned hadith of Ibn 'Umar: . So means "except a believer," whether he is subsequently in a state of major or minor ritual impurity. And so, in our view, this hadith should be interpreted to mean that there is no authentic, explicit text prohibiting the touching of the Qur'an by one who is in a state of major or minor ritual impurity. This is my answer to this last point.

The questioner : ... ؟

The Shaykh : How?

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : This was an advance answer, if you were...
Another questioner : ... ?

The Shaykh : Where?
Another questioner : ... ?

The Shaykh : Explain to me, may Allah bless you, the point of disagreement between the explicit wording and the implied meaning? First, means "except a disbeliever," is that not so? Okay, "No one touches the Qur'an except a believer" means "the disbeliever does not touch it." How do you consider this?
Another questioner: ...

The Shaykh : Good. And the hadith of Ibn 'Umar is a specific text. Okay, so what is your question? The discussion is proceeding up to this point.
Another questioner: ...

The Shaykh : And that is the case, and this is what we did, yes.