The Ablution for Reciting the Qur'an

Q: A questioner asks about the ablution for the purpose of reciting the Qur'an?

A: The Noble Qur'an is the speech of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) , and it is the greatest book, and it is the last of the books revealed from the heavens. Among the ways Allah honors it is that He said, Exalted is He, regarding it: IN A PRESERVED TABLET NO ONE TOUCHES IT EXCEPT THE PURIFIED A REVELATION FROM THE LORD OF THE WORLDS [Al-Waqi'ah: 77 - 80]. It was reported in a hadith that he (peace and blessings be upon him) wrote to the people of Yemen: And the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) issued a ruling to that effect.
Therefore, the majority of scholars, including the four Imams, held that it is not permissible to touch the Qur'an unless one is pure from both states of ritual impurity: the minor and the major. Similarly, it is not permissible for one in a state of major ritual impurity to read it at all until he performs the full ritual bath from that state, and this is the correct view.
Thus, one in a state of minor ritual impurity may not read the Qur'an from the written copy, but he may read it from memory if his state of impurity is minor. As for one in a state of major ritual impurity, he may not read it at all until he performs the full ritual bath; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was not prevented from the Qur'an by anything except major ritual impurity, as established from 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: .
The scholars differed regarding the menstruating woman and the woman with post-natal bleeding: whether they are to be treated like one in a state of major ritual impurity?
Some of them—and they are the majority—treated them like one in a state of major ritual impurity, and prohibited them from reading the Qur'an at all until they become pure. A hadith was reported on this matter, narrated by Abu Dawud, from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), that he said: .
Others said: It is permissible for them to read from memory; because their period is prolonged, and the matter is not in their hands as it is for one in a state of major ritual impurity. This is the correct view; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered 'A'ishah during the Farewell Pilgrimage, while she was menstruating, to do what the pilgrim does except for the circumambulation, and he did not prohibit her from reading the Qur'an. Also, the analogy of the menstruating woman and the woman with post-natal bleeding to one in a state of major ritual impurity is not correct; due to the great difference between them and him. As for the hadith of Ibn 'Umar mentioned above, it is a weak hadith according to the scholars; because it is from the narration of Isma'il ibn 'Iyash, from Musa ibn 'Uqbah—and he is from the Hijaz—and Isma'il's narrations from other than the people of Sham are weak.