Surah Al-Waaqia (56) — Ayah 77

(Ayah 77 to 80) ➊ {اِنَّهٗ لَقُرْاٰنٌ كَرِيْمٌ (77) فِيْ كِتٰبٍ مَّكْنُوْنٍ …: ’’ كَرِيْمٌ ‘‘} The most excellent and superior thing in its category is called "Kareem." {’’اَلْقُرْآنُ‘‘} is a verbal noun in the meaning of a passive participle, i.e., that which is recited. This name is because this book has been recited so much and will continue to be recited until the Day of Judgment that no other book can compare to it in being recited. That is, this book which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has brought is the most superior among all recited things and is completely protected from any kind of deficiency or excess. No devil has the power to become aware of it before or during its revelation to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), because it is inscribed in that book, i.e., the Preserved Tablet, which is kept hidden. No one among jinn or mankind has access to it. Let alone reciting it, no one can even touch it except those angels of Allah who have been created completely pure from every kind of betrayal and disobedience. These pure angels have revealed it from the Lord of the worlds to the heart of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). It is neither the composition of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), nor is it the speech of any human or other creature, nor can devils have any involvement in it; rather, it is the speech revealed from Allah with every kind of protection. The evidence that {’’ كِتٰبٍ مَّكْنُوْنٍ ‘‘} refers to the Preserved Tablet is this verse, He said: «بَلْ هُوَ قُرْاٰنٌ مَّجِيْدٌ (21) فِيْ لَوْحٍ مَّحْفُوْظٍ » [ البروج : ۲۱،۲۲ ] "Rather, it is a glorious Qur'an, in a preserved tablet." See also Surah Abasa (11 to 16) and Surah Shu'ara (192 to 194 and 210 to 212).

➋ These four verses are the answer to the oath of {’’ فَلَاۤ اُقْسِمُ بِمَوٰقِعِ النُّجُوْمِ ‘‘}. For the relevance of this oath and its answer, see the commentary on the opening verses of Surah Najm.

➌ As explained in the commentary of the verse, in {’’ لَا يَمَسُّهٗۤ اِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُوْنَ‘‘} there is no ruling mentioned about touching or not touching the Qur'an in the state of minor or major impurity; rather, it is stated that the book in which the Qur'an is contained, no one can touch it except the angels. Therefore, those scholars who derive from this verse the ruling that it is not permissible for a person in a state of major or minor impurity, or a menstruating woman, to touch the Qur'an, their view is not correct, because no matter how much purification a human attains, it is difficult for him to become as pure as the angels. (Except whom Allah wills)

➍ Many scholars have said that this ruling is not established from this verse of the Qur'an but from the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). In Muwatta Imam Malik, it is mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) wrote a letter to Amr bin Hazm (may Allah be pleased with him), in which it was also written: {’’لَا يَمَسُّ الْقُرْآنَ إِلَّا طَاهِرٌ‘‘} "No one should touch the Qur'an except a pure person." Shaykh Nasiruddin Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote in detail about all the chains of this hadith in "Irwa al-Ghalil" (hadith 122): "The summary is that none of the chains of this hadith are free from weakness, but this is a minor weakness, because none of the narrators are accused of lying; the only issues are mursal or weak memory, and it is established in the principles of hadith that if there are multiple chains, they strengthen each other, as long as there is no accused narrator, as Nawawi stated in his Taqreeb and Suyuti in its commentary. According to this, the heart finds satisfaction in the authenticity of this hadith..." (Irwa al-Ghalil) But even if this hadith is authentic, this ruling is not established from it. Our teacher Muhammad Abduh writes: "But it is not explicit in its meaning, because it can also mean being pure from disbelief and polytheism, because a Muslim remains pure even in the state of major impurity." {’’سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ! إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لَا يَنْجُسُ۔‘‘} (Ashraf al-Hawashi) The hadith referred to by the late teacher is narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) met me on one of the roads of Madinah while I was in a state of major impurity. He (peace and blessings be upon him) took my hand, and I walked with him until he (peace and blessings be upon him) sat down. Then I slipped away, went home, performed ghusl, and returned while he (peace and blessings be upon him) was still sitting. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ أَيْنَ كُنْتَ يَا أَبَا هِرٍّ!؟ ] 'Abu Hurairah! Where were you?' I told him what had happened, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ ! يَا أَبَا هِرٍّ! إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لاَ يَنْجُسُ ] [ بخاري، الغسل، باب الجنب یخرج…: ۲۸۵ ] 'SubhanAllah! Abu Hurairah! A believer is never impure.'"

A menstruating woman is not allowed to pray or fast, but this does not mean that her hand is impure so that she cannot touch the Qur'an. Thus, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: [ نَاوِلِيْنِي الْخُمْرَةَ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ ] "Hand me the mat from the mosque." I said: "I am menstruating." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ حَيْضَتَكِ لَيْسَتْ فِيْ يَدِكِ ] [ مسلم، الحیض، باب جواز غسل الحائض رأس زوجھا… : ۲۹۸ ] "Your menstruation is not in your hand." Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "Once the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was in the mosque, and he said: [ يَا عَائِشَةُ ! نَاوِلِيْنِي الثَّوْبَ ] 'O Aisha! Hand me the cloth.' She said: 'I am menstruating.' He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ حَيْضَتَكِ لَيْسَتْ فِيْ يَدِكِ ] 'Your menstruation is not in your hand.' So she handed him the cloth." [ مسلم، الحیض، باب جواز غسل الحائض رأس زوجھا… : ۲۹۹ ]

Shaykh Nasiruddin Albani wrote in "Tamam al-Minnah" in {’’ بَابُ مَا يَجِبُ بِهِ الْوُضُوْءَ ‘‘}: "So the closer view (and Allah knows best) is that in this hadith, {’’ طَاهِرٌ ‘‘} refers to the believer, whether he is in a state of major impurity (janabah), minor impurity (without wudu), menstruating, or has some impurity on his body, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لاَ يَنْجُسُ ] 'A believer is never impure.' There is consensus on the authenticity of this hadith, and {’’لَا يَمَسُّ الْقُرْآنَ إِلَّا طَاهِرٌ ‘‘} means that a polytheist should not be allowed to touch it. Thus, it is like the hadith in which it is said: [ نَهٰی أَنْ يُّسَافَرَ بِالْقُرْآنِ إِلٰی أَرْضِ الْعَدُوِّ ] 'The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade traveling with the Qur'an to the land of the enemy.' This hadith is also agreed upon. And Shawkani discussed this issue in detail in "Nayl al-Awtar" ({بَابُ إِيْجَابِ الْوُضُوْءِ لِلصَّلَاةِ وَ الطَّوَافِ وَ مَسِّ الْمُصْحَفِ}), so if you want more research, refer to it."

And in "Tamam al-Minnah" in {’’بَابُ مَا يَحْرُمُ عَلَي الْجُنُبِ‘‘} he writes: {’’وَالْبَرَاءَةُ الْأَصْلِيَّةُ مَعَ الَّذِيْنَ قَالُوْا بِجَوَازِ مَسِّ الْقُرْآنِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِ الْجُنُبِ وَلَيْسَ فِي الْبَابِ نَقْلٌ صَحِيْحٌ يُجِيْزُ الْخُرُوْجَ عَنْهَا‘‘} That is, "The principle that anything not prohibited is by default permissible supports those who say that even a Muslim in a state of major impurity can touch the Qur'an, and there is no authentic hadith to exclude it from this principle."