Is It Permissible to Place the Qur’an on the Ground?
Written by: ✒ Muhaddith al-‘Asr, Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai (رحمه الله)
Is it permissible to place the Qur’an on the ground?
‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (RA) narrates:
"أَتَی نَفَرٌ مِنْ يَہُودٍ، فَدَعَوْا رَسُولَ اللہِ ﷺ إِلَی الْقُفِّ، فَأَتَاہُمْ فِي بَيْتِ الْمِدْرَاسِ، فَقَالُوا: يَا أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ! إِنَّ رَجُلًا مِنَّا زَنَی بِامْرَأَةٍ، فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَہُمْ، فَوَضَعُوا لِرَسُولِ اللہِ ﷺ وِسَادَةً، فَجَلَسَ عَلَيْہَا، ثُمَّ قَالَ ((ائتُني بِالتَّوْرَاةِ))، فَأُتِيَ بِہَا، فَنَزَعَ الْوِسَادَةَ مِنْ تَحْتِہِ، فَوَضَعَ التَّوْرَاةَ عَلَيْہَا …. إلخ"
A group of Jews came and invited the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to al-Quff (a valley in Madinah). The Prophet ﷺ went to them in their Bayt al-Midras (school). They said: "O Abu al-Qasim! A man from among us has committed fornication with a woman, so judge between them." They placed a cushion for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he sat on it. Then he said: "Bring me the Torah." When it was brought, he removed the cushion from beneath himself and placed the Torah upon it.
Reference: Sunan Abu Dawud with ‘Awn al-Ma‘bud, vol. 3, p. 264, Hadith 4449
The chain of this hadith is hasan. All its narrators are trustworthy except Hisham bin Sa‘d. Although some criticism exists regarding him, my research confirms that he is considered truthful and reliable by the majority of hadith scholars, as I have proven in the footnotes of Sunan Abu Dawud in Nayl al-Maqsud (Hadith 497) and in my Ta‘liq ‘ala Tahdhib al-Tahdhib. Therefore, his narrations are hasan.
Hafiz al-Dhahabi and Imam al-‘Ajli both stated: "Hasan al-Hadith"
References: al-Kashif 3/196, Tarikh al-‘Ajli no. 1514
From this hadith, it is understood that the Qur’an and other revealed scriptures should not be placed directly on the ground. Rather, they should be placed on a high and clean surface, with the utmost respect.
For the original discussion, see: Fatawa ‘Ilmiyyah (known as Tawdih al-Ahkam), vol. 2, pp. 55–56
Written by: ✒ Muhaddith al-‘Asr, Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai (رحمه الله)
Question:
Is it permissible to place the Qur’an on the ground?
Answer:
‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (RA) narrates:
"أَتَی نَفَرٌ مِنْ يَہُودٍ، فَدَعَوْا رَسُولَ اللہِ ﷺ إِلَی الْقُفِّ، فَأَتَاہُمْ فِي بَيْتِ الْمِدْرَاسِ، فَقَالُوا: يَا أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ! إِنَّ رَجُلًا مِنَّا زَنَی بِامْرَأَةٍ، فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَہُمْ، فَوَضَعُوا لِرَسُولِ اللہِ ﷺ وِسَادَةً، فَجَلَسَ عَلَيْہَا، ثُمَّ قَالَ ((ائتُني بِالتَّوْرَاةِ))، فَأُتِيَ بِہَا، فَنَزَعَ الْوِسَادَةَ مِنْ تَحْتِہِ، فَوَضَعَ التَّوْرَاةَ عَلَيْہَا …. إلخ"
A group of Jews came and invited the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to al-Quff (a valley in Madinah). The Prophet ﷺ went to them in their Bayt al-Midras (school). They said: "O Abu al-Qasim! A man from among us has committed fornication with a woman, so judge between them." They placed a cushion for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he sat on it. Then he said: "Bring me the Torah." When it was brought, he removed the cushion from beneath himself and placed the Torah upon it.
Reference: Sunan Abu Dawud with ‘Awn al-Ma‘bud, vol. 3, p. 264, Hadith 4449
Authenticity of the Hadith:
The chain of this hadith is hasan. All its narrators are trustworthy except Hisham bin Sa‘d. Although some criticism exists regarding him, my research confirms that he is considered truthful and reliable by the majority of hadith scholars, as I have proven in the footnotes of Sunan Abu Dawud in Nayl al-Maqsud (Hadith 497) and in my Ta‘liq ‘ala Tahdhib al-Tahdhib. Therefore, his narrations are hasan.
Hafiz al-Dhahabi and Imam al-‘Ajli both stated: "Hasan al-Hadith"
References: al-Kashif 3/196, Tarikh al-‘Ajli no. 1514
Ruling Derived:
From this hadith, it is understood that the Qur’an and other revealed scriptures should not be placed directly on the ground. Rather, they should be placed on a high and clean surface, with the utmost respect.
For the original discussion, see: Fatawa ‘Ilmiyyah (known as Tawdih al-Ahkam), vol. 2, pp. 55–56
