Ruling on Touching the Qur'an Without Wudu and Its Shar‘i Evidences
Source: Fatāwā Arkān-e-Islām
Can a person in a state of major impurity (junub) touch the Qur’an?
A man who is a teacher and teaches the Qur’an to students asks: if he does not have access to water in the madrasa or in the nearby areas, what should he do? Since only pure persons are allowed to touch the Qur’an, what method should be adopted in such a situation?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd!
If there is no water available in the madrasa or nearby, the teacher should inform the students beforehand to come with wudu, because only a person in a state of purity may touch the Qur’an.
In the hadith of ʿAmr bin Ḥazm (RA), the Prophet ﷺ wrote to him:
«اَنْ لاَّ يَمَسَّ الْقُرْآنَ اِلاَّ طَاهِرٌ»
Sunan al-Dārimī, Kitāb al-Ṭalāq, Bāb 3; al-Nasā’ī (5718)
Meaning: “None should touch the Qur’an except one who is ṭāhir (pure).”
Here, “ṭāhir” refers to a person who has purified himself from the state of impurity.
At the end of the verse regarding wudu, ghusl, and tayammum, Allah ﷻ says:
﴿ما يُريدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجعَلَ عَلَيكُم مِن حَرَجٍ وَلـكِن يُريدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُم وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعمَتَهُ عَلَيكُم لَعَلَّكُم تَشكُرونَ﴾
Sūrah al-Mā’idah: 6
Translation: “Allah does not wish to place you in difficulty, but He wishes to purify you and complete His favour upon you so that you may be grateful.”
The phrase “to purify you” indicates that before purification a person is not considered ṭāhir.
Based on this, no one has the right to touch the Qur’an without first attaining purity, i.e., without wudu.
Some scholars have granted a concession for small children to touch the Qur’an because:
◈ They frequently handle the Qur’an in their learning.
◈ They do not have full awareness of the rulings of wudu.
However, it is still preferable that:
◈ Students should also be encouraged to make wudu and touch the Qur’an in a state of purity.
The questioner referred to the verse:
﴿لا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا المُطَهَّرونَ﴾
Meaning: “None touch it except the purified.”
This verse is not direct evidence for the prohibition of touching the Qur’an without wudu, because:
◈ “Kitāb maknūn” here refers to the Lawḥ Maḥfūẓ (Preserved Tablet).
◈ “Al-muṭahharūn” refers to the angels.
If human beings were meant here, the correct grammatical forms in Arabic would have been “muṭahhirūn” or “mutatahhirūn”.
Therefore, using this verse as proof in the matter of touching the Qur’an is incorrect.
The hadith mentioned above —
«اَنْ لاَّ يَمَسَّ الْقُرْآنَ اِلاَّ طَاهِرٌ»
— is a clear and explicit proof that touching the Qur’an without wudu is not permissible.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
Source: Fatāwā Arkān-e-Islām
❖ Question:
Can a person in a state of major impurity (junub) touch the Qur’an?
A man who is a teacher and teaches the Qur’an to students asks: if he does not have access to water in the madrasa or in the nearby areas, what should he do? Since only pure persons are allowed to touch the Qur’an, what method should be adopted in such a situation?
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd!
If there is no water available in the madrasa or nearby, the teacher should inform the students beforehand to come with wudu, because only a person in a state of purity may touch the Qur’an.
Evidence from Hadith:
In the hadith of ʿAmr bin Ḥazm (RA), the Prophet ﷺ wrote to him:
«اَنْ لاَّ يَمَسَّ الْقُرْآنَ اِلاَّ طَاهِرٌ»
Sunan al-Dārimī, Kitāb al-Ṭalāq, Bāb 3; al-Nasā’ī (5718)
Meaning: “None should touch the Qur’an except one who is ṭāhir (pure).”
Here, “ṭāhir” refers to a person who has purified himself from the state of impurity.
Explanation from the Qur’ān:
At the end of the verse regarding wudu, ghusl, and tayammum, Allah ﷻ says:
﴿ما يُريدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجعَلَ عَلَيكُم مِن حَرَجٍ وَلـكِن يُريدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُم وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعمَتَهُ عَلَيكُم لَعَلَّكُم تَشكُرونَ﴾
Sūrah al-Mā’idah: 6
Translation: “Allah does not wish to place you in difficulty, but He wishes to purify you and complete His favour upon you so that you may be grateful.”
The phrase “to purify you” indicates that before purification a person is not considered ṭāhir.
Based on this, no one has the right to touch the Qur’an without first attaining purity, i.e., without wudu.
Concession for Children:
Some scholars have granted a concession for small children to touch the Qur’an because:
◈ They frequently handle the Qur’an in their learning.
◈ They do not have full awareness of the rulings of wudu.
However, it is still preferable that:
◈ Students should also be encouraged to make wudu and touch the Qur’an in a state of purity.
Clarification of the Verse “لَا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ”:
The questioner referred to the verse:
﴿لا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا المُطَهَّرونَ﴾
Meaning: “None touch it except the purified.”
This verse is not direct evidence for the prohibition of touching the Qur’an without wudu, because:
◈ “Kitāb maknūn” here refers to the Lawḥ Maḥfūẓ (Preserved Tablet).
◈ “Al-muṭahharūn” refers to the angels.
If human beings were meant here, the correct grammatical forms in Arabic would have been “muṭahhirūn” or “mutatahhirūn”.
Therefore, using this verse as proof in the matter of touching the Qur’an is incorrect.
Final Ruling:
The hadith mentioned above —
«اَنْ لاَّ يَمَسَّ الْقُرْآنَ اِلاَّ طَاهِرٌ»
— is a clear and explicit proof that touching the Qur’an without wudu is not permissible.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
