Is it permissible to recite the Qur'an while in a state of ritual impurity and to perform the prostration of recitation?

The questioner : Is it permissible to recite the Qur'an while in a state of ritual impurity and to prostrate?

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : I mean without touching the Qur'an.

The Shaykh : No, even if he touches the Qur'an. Regarding touching the Qur'an, the same ruling applies as for reciting it. It is better not to touch the Qur'an unless one is in a state of ritual purity. But if he touches the Qur'an while in a state of ritual impurity, he has not committed a forbidden act. Rather, what has he done? He has gone against what is better. Is there a difference? Yes.

The questioner : Do you mean ritual purity as in ablution, or as in major ritual impurity?

The Shaykh : No, both. Both. I mean, if a person is pure from major ritual impurity and wants to touch the Qur'an, it is better that he performs ablution and then touches the Qur'an. But if he does not touch the Qur'an, he has not committed a forbidden act. Similarly, if a person wants to recite from his memory without touching the mushaf, it is better that he recites while in a state of ablution. But if he recites while not in a state of ablution, he is not a sinner.

The questioner : Do you mean whether it is purity from major ritual impurity or ablution?

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : And beware of that.

The questioner : ... major ritual impurity, I mean ... .

The Shaykh : No, the one who ... .

The questioner : Except in a case of dire necessity, I mean ... .

The Shaykh : What you are hearing is more than that. What you are hearing regarding touching the Qur'an is that it is not permissible, even if one is pure from major ritual impurity.

The questioner : This is understood, meaning, my Shaykh, that it is better, especially regarding major ritual impurity, that reciting the Qur'an is not permissible ... .

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : How?
The student : ... .

The Shaykh : ... I want, may Allah reward you, a comment on what you said that we hear, which is that it is not permissible for one in a state of major ritual impurity to recite the Qur'an or to touch the Qur'an, is that not so? What you are hearing, I told you, is that what you are hearing is more than that. The one in a state of major ritual impurity is also not permitted to recite or touch. And the same applies to the one who is not in a state of major ritual impurity but is not in a state of ablution; it is not permissible for him to touch the Qur'an. He is pure from major ritual impurity, but he is not pure from minor ritual impurity. This one, who is not in a state of ablution, they also say it is not permissible for him. This is part of what you are hearing.

The questioner : The one who is not in a state of ablution, as you mentioned, it is a matter of preference.

The Shaykh : Excuse me, I am not asking you.

The questioner : Ritual purity.

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you. I am not asking you for your opinion; I am asking you about what you hear.

The questioner : And what I hear, and what I am hearing regarding ablution and not being in a state of ablution, is that it is a matter of preference. As for my understanding, I mean, the one in a state of major ritual impurity does not touch the Qur'an and does not recite the Qur'an from his memory except in cases of dire necessity. Your Eminence said that he also prostrates the prostration of the Qur'an.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : And I answered: There is no difference between any of the pillars of prayer in that if one performs it outside of prayer, the conditions required for prayer are not required of it. Any pillar of prayer, if performed outside of prayer, does not take on the ruling of prayer. I mean, the part does not take on the ruling of the whole. For example, as we all know, a person's prayer is not valid except with the opening takbir, except by saying Allahu Akbar. I am now, for example, in a state of major ritual impurity. Is it permissible for me to say Allahu Akbar? It is permissible. But this is a pillar of the pillars of prayer. Yes, the part is not given the ruling of the whole. Okay, I recited a verse of prostration and I am in a state of major ritual impurity. Do I want to prostrate? Is it permissible? They say: It is not permissible. Why? Because this is a prostration, my brother, this is a prostration, but outside of prayer. But if you want to prostrate it, for example, let us assume a person has a prostration of recitation due to him. He has a prostration of recitation due to him. He said, "Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy," and his ablution was broken. From here, is it permissible for him to prostrate the prostrations of forgetfulness? The answer is no. Why? Because these are from the prayer. But I am reading the Qur'an and I came upon a verse with a prostration, so I prostrated. My prostration here is like my saying Allahu Akbar. There is no difference between them at all. My saying Allahu Akbar in prayer is a pillar. My prostration in prayer is a pillar. Outside of prayer, my takbir is not a pillar. My prostration of recitation is not a pillar. And something else branches from this, and this is also not known to many students of knowledge. We are here in this house, and this is our qiblah. I am sitting there, I read a verse, I prostrated to the east, I prostrated to the west. It is not required in the prostration of recitation at all what is required for the prostration of prayer. The prostration of prayer requires purity of the clothes, purity of the body, purity of the place, and facing the qiblah. Everything that is required for prayer, the prostration of what? Yes. But the prostration of recitation outside of prayer does not require any of these at all. Therefore, it came in "Sahih al-Bukhari": "That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when the surah: was revealed to him, and at its end: , the Muslims and the polytheists all prostrated in the Sacred Mosque." Because of the awe of what? The greatness of these verses. Yes, without a doubt, these people, as you see them in the Sacred Mosque, some are facing the qiblah, some are deviating from the qiblah. We see the Muslims today, due to their lack of attention and their much heedlessness, they are deviating from the Ka'bah in prayer. Have you seen this thing or not? They are deviating from the Ka'bah. This is what we have seen. Yes. Therefore, the scholars say: Regarding the one who sees the Ka'bah, he must face its exact direction. And the one who does not see the Ka'bah, it is sufficient for him to face its direction. Therefore, he (peace be upon him) said: Regarding whom? The one far from the Ka'bah who does not see it. But the one who is in the Sacred Mosque, whether on the ground or above, he must face the exact direction of the Ka'bah. And therefore, unfortunately, due to the ignorance of people and pilgrims to the House of Allah the Sacred, they go to perform the obligation, which is the obligation of Hajj, and they lose the obligations of prayers, placing them [incorrectly]. Why? They do not have the knowledge that in the Sacred Mosque, one must face the exact direction of the Ka'bah. Even if it is in one of the corners. I mean, for example, this is the Ka'bah. Excuse me, you faced here or you faced here. But if you faced this way, the prayer is not valid.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes, so my intention is to say that this prostration that the Messenger (peace be upon him) prostrated when he recited: , and the believers prostrated with him, and the polytheists prostrated with him, they were as they were. They prostrated, some facing the exact direction of the Ka'bah, some deviating from it to the right, some to the left, sitting naturally, perfectly. Therefore, the issue truly needs precision and clarification. We say: Reciting the Qur'an is permissible in all its states, whether pure or in a state of major ritual impurity. Why? Because Aisha said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to remember Allah in all his states." And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sometimes used to sleep while in a state of major ritual impurity and would not take a bath until in Ramadan, except before dawn, before abstaining from food and drink.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Before abstaining from food and drink.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Before abstaining from food and drink, he takes a bath. So he (peace be upon him) slept in a state of major ritual impurity to indicate the permissibility of this. But it is better, also, not to sleep except in a state of purity. The point is: When the Messenger (peace be upon him) slept in a state of major ritual impurity, it was from his Sunnah that he did not sleep except after reciting the surah "Tabarak." It was from his guidance that he did not sleep except reciting: the two protectors, . He did not leave these.