What is the ruling on kissing the Qur'an before and after reading it?
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The questioner : What is the ruling on kissing the Qur'an before and after reading it?
The Shaykh : If a person kisses the Qur'an, it is done out of reverence for the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). There is no doubt that revering the Book of Allah is among the best acts of drawing near to Him, for the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is His speech. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) spoke this Qur'an with words that Jibril heard from Him, and he brought it down to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah the Exalted said:[At-Tawbah 9:6] And Allah the Exalted said: [Ash-Shu'ara 26:192-195] And He the Exalted said: [Yusuf 12:2].
So the Qur'an is truly the speech of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He); He spoke it, Jibril heard it, and it was revealed to the heart of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, revering this great Qur'an is part of revering Allah (Mighty and Majestic). However, revering Allah, revering His Messenger, and revering His Book is achieved by following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) well, not by following one's own desires. This is a principle that a person should take to heart: that revering Allah, revering His Messenger, and revering His Book is achieved by following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) well. The more a person follows the Messenger of Allah, the more it indicates the reverence for Allah and love of Allah in his heart. Allah the Exalted said:[Ali 'Imran 3:31]. So whoever innovates in the religion of Allah what is not part of it, his love for Allah and reverence for Allah are diminished by the amount of deviation resulting from that religious innovation.
Based on this principle, we say: Kissing the mushaf at the beginning of recitation, at the end of it, or at the beginning only, or at the end only, or on other occasions, is not prescribed; rather, it is a religious innovation. It was not known in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to kiss the parchments on which parts of the Qur'an were written. It was not known in the time of the Companions, after the Qur'an was compiled in the mushaf, that they would kiss this mushaf. There is no doubt that the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and whoever innovates a religious innovation, even if he thinks it is good, it is ugly; even if he thinks it is guidance, it is misguidance; and even if he thinks there is reward in it, it is in the Fire, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan an-Nasa'i 1578Sahih (Darussalam).
Therefore, I advise my brother, this questioner, not to kiss the mushaf, neither at the beginning of reading nor at the end of it, nor on other occasions. It is sufficient for him as reverence for the mushaf to believe in what Allah has informed us of in it, to act upon what Allah has commanded in it, and to refrain from what Allah has forbidden in it. This is the true reverence that indicates the sincerity of a person's intention and his pure devotion to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and the correctness of his testimony that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is a messenger. For the realization of the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is that one does not worship Allah except with what this noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has prescribed.
The Shaykh : If a person kisses the Qur'an, it is done out of reverence for the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). There is no doubt that revering the Book of Allah is among the best acts of drawing near to Him, for the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is His speech. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) spoke this Qur'an with words that Jibril heard from Him, and he brought it down to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah the Exalted said:
And if any one of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the words of Allah
وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ اسْتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ كَلامَ اللَّهِ(192) And indeed, the Qur'an is the revelation of the Lord of the worlds. (193) The Trustworthy Spirit has brought it down (194) Upon your heart, [O Muhammad] - that you may be of the warners - (195) In a clear Arabic language.
وَإِنَّهُ لَتَنْزِيلُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ * نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الأَمِينُ * عَلَى قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنذِرِينَ * بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِيٍّ مُبِينٍIndeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an that you might understand.
إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَSo the Qur'an is truly the speech of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He); He spoke it, Jibril heard it, and it was revealed to the heart of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, revering this great Qur'an is part of revering Allah (Mighty and Majestic). However, revering Allah, revering His Messenger, and revering His Book is achieved by following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) well, not by following one's own desires. This is a principle that a person should take to heart: that revering Allah, revering His Messenger, and revering His Book is achieved by following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) well. The more a person follows the Messenger of Allah, the more it indicates the reverence for Allah and love of Allah in his heart. Allah the Exalted said:
Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins
قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْBased on this principle, we say: Kissing the mushaf at the beginning of recitation, at the end of it, or at the beginning only, or at the end only, or on other occasions, is not prescribed; rather, it is a religious innovation. It was not known in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to kiss the parchments on which parts of the Qur'an were written. It was not known in the time of the Companions, after the Qur'an was compiled in the mushaf, that they would kiss this mushaf. There is no doubt that the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and whoever innovates a religious innovation, even if he thinks it is good, it is ugly; even if he thinks it is guidance, it is misguidance; and even if he thinks there is reward in it, it is in the Fire, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
every newly-invented thing is an innovation and every innovation is going astray, and every going astray is in the Fire
إياكم ومحدثات الأمور فإن كل بدعة ضلالة، وكل ضلالة في النارTherefore, I advise my brother, this questioner, not to kiss the mushaf, neither at the beginning of reading nor at the end of it, nor on other occasions. It is sufficient for him as reverence for the mushaf to believe in what Allah has informed us of in it, to act upon what Allah has commanded in it, and to refrain from what Allah has forbidden in it. This is the true reverence that indicates the sincerity of a person's intention and his pure devotion to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and the correctness of his testimony that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is a messenger. For the realization of the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is that one does not worship Allah except with what this noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has prescribed.