Is it permissible to hang some Qur'anic verses in homes or offices?
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The questioner : Is it permissible to hang some verses from the Noble Qur'an in homes or offices, and does one sin if he memorized the Qur'an and then forgot it afterwards due to his preoccupation with the affairs of his life?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the Imam of the Pious, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
The answer to this question is that this question consists of two parts:
The first part: Hanging verses on the walls and the like in mosques and residences. The answer to this part is that I do not see that, meaning I do not see that a person should hang verses from the Qur'an on the walls, whether in mosques or in houses, because with this hanging, we must ask: what is the motivation for it? If he says: the motivation for it is seeking blessing from the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), we say: seeking blessing from the Qur'an in this manner is not correct, because this was not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) nor from his Companions that they used to seek blessing from the Qur'an in this manner. And if that was not reported from them, it is known that it is not from the Shari'ah. And if it is not from the Shari'ah, then it is not permissible for a person to worship Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with it, or to seek blessing from the Qur'an in this manner without a Shari'ah basis.
One might say: I want by this to remind those present of what this verse contains of encouragement or warning. We say: this reminder, although intended by the one who places it, is in reality not realized and not practical. How many are the verses that contain encouragement and warning; if they are placed, most of those present, if not all of them, do not benefit from it and do not take a lesson.
It may be that what is hung is the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic):[Al-Hujurat 49:12] and the gathering in which this verse is present is entirely backbiting and talk about the reputations of people, so this would be of the category of contradicting the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
One might say: I hung it to protect my house, so I hang the Verse of the Throne to protect the house from the jinn, because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): We say: this is also a religious innovation, for the Salaf did not protect their houses by hanging verses on them. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: Mishkat al-Masabih 974 and recitation is not hanging, as is apparent.
Based on this cause that the one who hangs the verse relies upon, you find many people relying on this hanging and not reciting it themselves, because he says: I have been spared by hanging this verse. So the person misses out on much good based on this action built on this belief which has no basis.
And we say: some people may hang them, meaning the verses, for the sake of decoration. For this reason, you find them sometimes hanging verses written in a manner other than the Uthmanic script, indeed contrary to it. And perhaps they write them in a shape that suggests their meaning, or perhaps they write them in the shape of a house or palace or pillars and the like of that, which indicates that they made the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) mere engravings and decorations. And I have seen this often.
So what I see is that it is not befitting for a person to hang anything of the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) on the walls, for the speech of Allah is higher, more noble, and more exalted than to be made into decorations with which walls are adorned. And this cannot be compared to a person who hung the mushaf with a nail or the like on the wall, for this is an analogy with a great difference. So the mushaf is covered by its pocket or its cover, and its letters and lines are not exposed. And no one says: I hung the mushaf here to seek blessing from it or to take a lesson from it. Rather, he says: I hung it here to raise it from the ground and protect it from children and the like. And there is a difference between the exposed, visible thing hung or displayed on the wall, and a covered mushaf placed in a niche or hung with a nail or the like. And this analogy does not deceive anyone who considers the issue or reflects upon it.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the Imam of the Pious, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
The answer to this question is that this question consists of two parts:
The first part: Hanging verses on the walls and the like in mosques and residences. The answer to this part is that I do not see that, meaning I do not see that a person should hang verses from the Qur'an on the walls, whether in mosques or in houses, because with this hanging, we must ask: what is the motivation for it? If he says: the motivation for it is seeking blessing from the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), we say: seeking blessing from the Qur'an in this manner is not correct, because this was not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) nor from his Companions that they used to seek blessing from the Qur'an in this manner. And if that was not reported from them, it is known that it is not from the Shari'ah. And if it is not from the Shari'ah, then it is not permissible for a person to worship Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with it, or to seek blessing from the Qur'an in this manner without a Shari'ah basis.
One might say: I want by this to remind those present of what this verse contains of encouragement or warning. We say: this reminder, although intended by the one who places it, is in reality not realized and not practical. How many are the verses that contain encouragement and warning; if they are placed, most of those present, if not all of them, do not benefit from it and do not take a lesson.
It may be that what is hung is the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic):
or backbite each other
ولا يغتب بعضكم بعضاًOne might say: I hung it to protect my house, so I hang the Verse of the Throne to protect the house from the jinn, because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
that whoever recites the Verse of the Throne in a night, a protector from Allah will not cease to be over him, and no Shaytan will approach him until he becomes morning
أن من قرأ آية الكرسي في ليلة لم يزل عليه من الله حافظ ولا يقربه شيطان حتى يصبحIf anyone recites the Throne verse
من قرأ آية الكرسي في ليلةBased on this cause that the one who hangs the verse relies upon, you find many people relying on this hanging and not reciting it themselves, because he says: I have been spared by hanging this verse. So the person misses out on much good based on this action built on this belief which has no basis.
And we say: some people may hang them, meaning the verses, for the sake of decoration. For this reason, you find them sometimes hanging verses written in a manner other than the Uthmanic script, indeed contrary to it. And perhaps they write them in a shape that suggests their meaning, or perhaps they write them in the shape of a house or palace or pillars and the like of that, which indicates that they made the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) mere engravings and decorations. And I have seen this often.
So what I see is that it is not befitting for a person to hang anything of the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) on the walls, for the speech of Allah is higher, more noble, and more exalted than to be made into decorations with which walls are adorned. And this cannot be compared to a person who hung the mushaf with a nail or the like on the wall, for this is an analogy with a great difference. So the mushaf is covered by its pocket or its cover, and its letters and lines are not exposed. And no one says: I hung the mushaf here to seek blessing from it or to take a lesson from it. Rather, he says: I hung it here to raise it from the ground and protect it from children and the like. And there is a difference between the exposed, visible thing hung or displayed on the wall, and a covered mushaf placed in a niche or hung with a nail or the like. And this analogy does not deceive anyone who considers the issue or reflects upon it.