We often see signs and boards, whether made of paper, cloth, or wood, all inscribed with verses from the Qur'an, placed on
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The questioner : We often see signs and boards, whether made of paper, cloth, or wood, all inscribed with verses from the Qur'an, placed on the doors of mosques, buildings, and public streets, which exposes the words of Allah, Glorified and Exalted, to disrespect, God forbid, due to these boards falling onto the roads and dirty places. We request your guidance, O your Eminence, regarding this important matter to protect the words of Allah from being subjected to error?
The Shaykh : This matter mentioned by the questioner, which is hanging Qur'anic verses on walls and mosque doors and the like, is among the religious innovations that were not known in the time of the Salaf, the earliest generations, who are the best of the generations. It is also established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sahih al-Bukhari 3651 And if this had been among the things beloved to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, Allah the Exalted would have legislated it through the tongue of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), because everything that benefits people in their religion and worldly affairs is legislated through the tongue of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And if this had been a good thing, those Salaf, the earliest generations, would have been quicker to it than we are.
And with this, we say to those who hang these verses: What do you intend by this hanging? Do you intend by it to respect the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic?
If they say: Yes, we say: By Allah, we are not more respectful of the Book of Allah, Glorified and Exalted, than the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and yet they did not hang any of the verses of Allah on their walls or the walls of their mosques.
And if they say: We want by it to remind and admonish, we say: Let us look at reality. Does any of the people who see these hanging verses take a lesson from what is in them? It may be so, but it is very rare. Most of what draws attention to these written verses is the beauty of the calligraphy or the frames surrounding them or the like, and the decorations. It is very rare for a person to raise his head to them to read them and take a lesson from what is in them.
And if they say: We want to seek blessing from them, it is said: This is not the way to seek blessing. The Qur'an is all blessed, but it is by its recitation, understanding its meanings, and acting upon it, not by hanging it on walls and making it like museums.
And if they say: We wanted by it protection and recitation.
We say: This is not the way of protection and recitation. The recitations that are from the Qur'an only benefit their owner if he recites them, as in the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): And with this, some gatherings or many of the gatherings in which these verses are written may contain idle talk, or even forbidden speech or forbidden songs, and in that is a clear form of the spiritual desecration of the Qur'an.
Then, the physical desecration mentioned by the questioner, that these papers may fall in the markets and on filth and be trampled by feet, is another matter that should also be kept pure, indeed that it is obligatory to keep the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, pure from it.
In summary, hanging these verses is closer to sin than to reward, and following the path of peace is better for the believer and more fitting. However, I have also seen some people write these verses in letters that are almost like decoration. I have even seen someone write some verses in the shape of a bird or an animal or a man sitting in the position of the tashahhud in prayer or the like. They write these verses in a forbidden manner, in the manner of image-making which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed its doer. Then, the scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, differed on whether it is permissible to draw the verses in a script other than the Uthmanic script or not permissible? They differed on this in three opinions:
Some said: It is permissible absolutely, that it be written according to the known standard in every time and place according to its circumstances, as long as it is in Arabic letters.
And some say: It is not permissible absolutely, but it is obligatory to write the Qur'anic verses in the Uthmanic script only.
And some say: It is permissible to write it according to the known standard in every time and place according to its circumstances for children, to train them to pronounce the Qur'an in the correct manner, unlike its writing for sane adults, which should be in the Uthmanic script. As for writing it in the manner of decoration and engravings or images of animals, there is no doubt in its prohibition. So the believer should be one who honors the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and respects it. And if he wants to do something in the manner of decoration and engravings, let him use other words from the famous sayings among people and the like. As for making that in the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and taking the Qur'anic letters as images for engravings and decorations, or what is worse than that, by taking them as images of animals or humans, then this is ugly and forbidden. And Allah is the One to be sought for help.
The Shaykh : This matter mentioned by the questioner, which is hanging Qur'anic verses on walls and mosque doors and the like, is among the religious innovations that were not known in the time of the Salaf, the earliest generations, who are the best of the generations. It is also established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
The best people are those living in my generation, and then those who will follow them, and then those who will follow the latter
خير الناس قرني ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهمAnd with this, we say to those who hang these verses: What do you intend by this hanging? Do you intend by it to respect the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic?
If they say: Yes, we say: By Allah, we are not more respectful of the Book of Allah, Glorified and Exalted, than the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and yet they did not hang any of the verses of Allah on their walls or the walls of their mosques.
And if they say: We want by it to remind and admonish, we say: Let us look at reality. Does any of the people who see these hanging verses take a lesson from what is in them? It may be so, but it is very rare. Most of what draws attention to these written verses is the beauty of the calligraphy or the frames surrounding them or the like, and the decorations. It is very rare for a person to raise his head to them to read them and take a lesson from what is in them.
And if they say: We want to seek blessing from them, it is said: This is not the way to seek blessing. The Qur'an is all blessed, but it is by its recitation, understanding its meanings, and acting upon it, not by hanging it on walls and making it like museums.
And if they say: We wanted by it protection and recitation.
We say: This is not the way of protection and recitation. The recitations that are from the Qur'an only benefit their owner if he recites them, as in the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi in the night, a protector from Allah remains with him, and no Shaytan approaches him until he becomes morning.
من قرأ آية الكرسي في ليلة لم يزل عليه من الله حافظ ولا يقربه شيطان حتى يصبحThen, the physical desecration mentioned by the questioner, that these papers may fall in the markets and on filth and be trampled by feet, is another matter that should also be kept pure, indeed that it is obligatory to keep the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, pure from it.
In summary, hanging these verses is closer to sin than to reward, and following the path of peace is better for the believer and more fitting. However, I have also seen some people write these verses in letters that are almost like decoration. I have even seen someone write some verses in the shape of a bird or an animal or a man sitting in the position of the tashahhud in prayer or the like. They write these verses in a forbidden manner, in the manner of image-making which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed its doer. Then, the scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, differed on whether it is permissible to draw the verses in a script other than the Uthmanic script or not permissible? They differed on this in three opinions:
Some said: It is permissible absolutely, that it be written according to the known standard in every time and place according to its circumstances, as long as it is in Arabic letters.
And some say: It is not permissible absolutely, but it is obligatory to write the Qur'anic verses in the Uthmanic script only.
And some say: It is permissible to write it according to the known standard in every time and place according to its circumstances for children, to train them to pronounce the Qur'an in the correct manner, unlike its writing for sane adults, which should be in the Uthmanic script. As for writing it in the manner of decoration and engravings or images of animals, there is no doubt in its prohibition. So the believer should be one who honors the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and respects it. And if he wants to do something in the manner of decoration and engravings, let him use other words from the famous sayings among people and the like. As for making that in the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and taking the Qur'anic letters as images for engravings and decorations, or what is worse than that, by taking them as images of animals or humans, then this is ugly and forbidden. And Allah is the One to be sought for help.