He says in his letter: Is it permissible to touch the mushaf and read the Qur'an from it, and likewise to recite it in one's heart while in a state of minor ritual impurity without having performed wudu'?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : This letter came from the brother in Allah, Muhammad Salama, from Abha al-Mujaridah. He says in his letter: Is it permissible to touch the mushaf and read the Qur'an from it, and likewise to recite it in one's heart while in a state of minor ritual impurity without having performed wudu'?
The Shaykh : As for reading the Qur'an without touching it while in a state of minor ritual impurity, there is nothing wrong with it, and it is not obligatory for him to purify himself, though purification is better and more complete. As for touching the mushaf without wudu', the correct view is that it is permissible, but it is not befitting for him to touch the mushaf except with wudu'. Some scholars have held that it is forbidden to touch the mushaf without wudu', citing the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Waqi'ah 56:77-79] and the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of 'Amr ibn Hurayth: Muwatta Malik 15:1 However, there is nothing in the verse indicating what they held.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And there is nothing in the hadith explicitly indicating that. As for the verse, Allah says:[Al-Waqi'ah 56:78-79] The rule in Arabic grammar is that the pronoun refers to the nearest mentioned noun.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Unless there is evidence that it refers to what came before. Here, there is no evidence that the pronoun refers to the Qur'an; rather, it refers to the hidden Book, which is the Preserved Tablet. This is indicated by the fact that Allah said:[Al-Waqi'ah 56:79] "whom Allah has purified," and He did not say "except the pure ones" nor "except the purified ones." This indicates that the intended meaning of "the purified ones" is the angels whom Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has purified from what they ought to be purified from.
As for the hadith and its statement thatMuwatta Malik 15:1, the word "pure" is ambiguous; it could mean pure from ritual impurity or pure from disbelief, and both are valid meanings.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Purity from disbelief is like the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Tawbah 9:28] so the monotheists are pure. And like the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih al-Bukhari 283 Thus, the meaning of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) statement "except a pure one" is "except a believer," and it does not indicate that purity from minor ritual impurity is a condition.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is also possible that ... the pure one is one who is pure from minor ritual impurity. Since the possibility remains, there is no basis for obligating people on what is not clearly obligatory. We say that caution and the better course is not to touch the Qur'an except in a state of purity. If he touches it while in a state of minor ritual impurity, there is no blame on him.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for reading the Qur'an without touching it while in a state of minor ritual impurity, there is nothing wrong with it, and it is not obligatory for him to purify himself, though purification is better and more complete. As for touching the mushaf without wudu', the correct view is that it is permissible, but it is not befitting for him to touch the mushaf except with wudu'. Some scholars have held that it is forbidden to touch the mushaf without wudu', citing the saying of Allah the Exalted:
(77) Indeed, it is a noble Qur'an (78) In a Register well-protected; (79) None touch it except the purified.
إنه لقرأن كريم في كتاب مكنون لا يمسه إلا المطهرونno-one should touch the Qur'an unless he was pure
لا يمسّ القرأن إلا طاهرThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And there is nothing in the hadith explicitly indicating that. As for the verse, Allah says:
(78) In a Register well-protected; (79) None touch it except the purified.
في كتاب مكنون لا يمسه إلا المطهرونThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Unless there is evidence that it refers to what came before. Here, there is no evidence that the pronoun refers to the Qur'an; rather, it refers to the hidden Book, which is the Preserved Tablet. This is indicated by the fact that Allah said:
None touch it except the purified.
لا يمسه إلا المطهرونAs for the hadith and its statement that
no-one should touch the Qur'an unless he was pure
لا يمس القرأن إلا طاهرThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Purity from disbelief is like the saying of Allah the Exalted:
O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are unclean
يا أيها الذين ءامنوا إنما المشركون نجسA believer never becomes impure.
إن المؤمن لا ينجُسThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is also possible that ... the pure one is one who is pure from minor ritual impurity. Since the possibility remains, there is no basis for obligating people on what is not clearly obligatory. We say that caution and the better course is not to touch the Qur'an except in a state of purity. If he touches it while in a state of minor ritual impurity, there is no blame on him.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.