What is the ruling on one who reads the Qur'an secretly or aloud while in a state of major ritual impurity, or on one who remains for days in a state of major ritual impurity without taking a full ritual bath?
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The questioner : What is the ruling of the Shari'ah, in your view, O honorable Shaykh, regarding one who reads or recites verses of the Qur'an, whether secretly or aloud, while in a state of major ritual impurity, or one who spends time or days in a state of major ritual impurity without taking a full ritual bath?
The Shaykh : This question has two parts. The first part is reading the Qur'an while a person is in a state of major ritual impurity. The stronger of the opinions of the scholars is that this is forbidden, and that it is not permissible for one in a state of major ritual impurity to read anything from the Qur'an by way of recitation. This is because it has been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) from multiple sources what indicates the prohibition of reading the Qur'an for one in a state of major ritual impurity. Among these is the hadith of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach us the Qur'an as long as we were not in a state of major ritual impurity". It is well known that the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) teaching of the Qur'an to his Companions was obligatory, as it is part of conveying the message for which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was commanded. If he did not teach them the Qur'an while they were in a state of major ritual impurity, that indicates the prohibition of reading the Qur'an for one in a state of major ritual impurity, because an obligatory act is not opposed, or because an obligatory act is not prevented except by something forbidden. It is not correct to analogize this to the menstruating woman, and the difference between them is that one in a state of major ritual impurity can remove this obstacle to reading the Qur'an by taking a full ritual bath.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Unlike the menstruating woman, whose menstruation is not in her control.
And the menstruating woman, according to the stronger opinion, is permitted to read the Qur'an when there is a need for it, such as a teacher or a student, or one who reads it for her regular recitation before sleep, in the morning, or in the evening. This is the ruling on the reading of the Qur'an by one in a state of major ritual impurity; it is forbidden until he takes a full ritual bath.
As for the second part of the question, which is that he remains for days without taking a full ritual bath for major ritual impurity, this necessitates that he does not pray, or that he prays while in a state of major ritual impurity. Both of these matters are forbidden without doubt. It is not permissible for one in a state of major ritual impurity to pray, by the consensus of the Muslims. In fact, some of the scholars say: If a person prays while in a state of major ritual impurity, he has apostatized from Islam, because his prayer while in a state of major ritual impurity indicates that he is mocking and making fun of the verses of Allah. How can Allah the Exalted say:[Al-Ma'idah 5:6] up to His saying [Al-Ma'idah 5:6] and say: [An-Nisa 4:43] and then this man stands up and prays while in a state of major ritual impurity, seeking nearness to Allah by what Allah has forbidden? And whoever does not consider this to be disbelief considers that he has committed a major sin and that he is in danger. And if this man who remains for days in a state of major ritual impurity does not pray, the matter is more dangerous and greater. For abandoning prayer, according to the stronger opinion, is disbelief that takes one out of the religion, as we have established the evidence for this in many places on this platform, "Light on the Path." And those who said that he does not become a disbeliever have not brought forth anything of value, for what they opposed the evidence of disbelief with is free of five conditions: either it has no indication at all, or the hadiths are weak in authenticity, or weak in indication, or the hadiths are restricted by a description that does not allow abandoning prayer, or the hadiths are restricted by a state in which one is excused for not praying because Islam has been obliterated and erased, or the hadiths are general and have been specified by the hadiths indicating the disbelief of one who abandons prayer. And it is well known among the scholars that the specific takes precedence over the general.
And my advice to this man is to fear Allah the Exalted in himself and to hasten to take a full ritual bath from major ritual impurity, for the purer a person is, the cleaner he is. And without doubt, it is not permissible for him, when the time for prayer arrives, to leave taking the full ritual bath for major ritual impurity, thereby leaving the prayer, or to pray without the bath. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah magnify Allah.
The Shaykh : This question has two parts. The first part is reading the Qur'an while a person is in a state of major ritual impurity. The stronger of the opinions of the scholars is that this is forbidden, and that it is not permissible for one in a state of major ritual impurity to read anything from the Qur'an by way of recitation. This is because it has been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) from multiple sources what indicates the prohibition of reading the Qur'an for one in a state of major ritual impurity. Among these is the hadith of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach us the Qur'an as long as we were not in a state of major ritual impurity". It is well known that the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) teaching of the Qur'an to his Companions was obligatory, as it is part of conveying the message for which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was commanded. If he did not teach them the Qur'an while they were in a state of major ritual impurity, that indicates the prohibition of reading the Qur'an for one in a state of major ritual impurity, because an obligatory act is not opposed, or because an obligatory act is not prevented except by something forbidden. It is not correct to analogize this to the menstruating woman, and the difference between them is that one in a state of major ritual impurity can remove this obstacle to reading the Qur'an by taking a full ritual bath.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Unlike the menstruating woman, whose menstruation is not in her control.
And the menstruating woman, according to the stronger opinion, is permitted to read the Qur'an when there is a need for it, such as a teacher or a student, or one who reads it for her regular recitation before sleep, in the morning, or in the evening. This is the ruling on the reading of the Qur'an by one in a state of major ritual impurity; it is forbidden until he takes a full ritual bath.
As for the second part of the question, which is that he remains for days without taking a full ritual bath for major ritual impurity, this necessitates that he does not pray, or that he prays while in a state of major ritual impurity. Both of these matters are forbidden without doubt. It is not permissible for one in a state of major ritual impurity to pray, by the consensus of the Muslims. In fact, some of the scholars say: If a person prays while in a state of major ritual impurity, he has apostatized from Islam, because his prayer while in a state of major ritual impurity indicates that he is mocking and making fun of the verses of Allah. How can Allah the Exalted say:
O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِAnd if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves
وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُواO you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying or in a state of janabah, except those passing through [a place of prayer]
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا لا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلاةَ وَأَنْتُمْ سُكَارَى حَتَّى تَعْلَمُوا مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍAnd my advice to this man is to fear Allah the Exalted in himself and to hasten to take a full ritual bath from major ritual impurity, for the purer a person is, the cleaner he is. And without doubt, it is not permissible for him, when the time for prayer arrives, to leave taking the full ritual bath for major ritual impurity, thereby leaving the prayer, or to pray without the bath. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah magnify Allah.