◈ Evidence for the Prohibition of Touching the Qur'an Without Purification ◈
✍ Written by: Qari Usama bin Abd al-Salam ḥafiẓahullah
Allah Almighty says:
لَا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ
[Surah al-Wāqiʿah: 79]
"None shall touch it except the purified."
◈ Imam al-Ṭabarī رحمه الله said:
“Only the one who is pure—i.e., free from impurity and defilement—may touch the Qur’an. This is also the position of a group among the Salaf.”
[Tafsir al-Ṭabarī 23/282]
◈ Imam al-Qurṭubī رحمه الله said:
“This verse indicates that only a pure person may touch the Qur’an, as stated in a narrated Hadith.”
[Al-Jāmiʿ li Aḥkām al-Qur’ān 17/205]
✔ This verse clearly establishes that only those in a state of purity (ṭahārah) may touch the Qur’an—meaning those not in a state of major or minor impurity.
➊ Hadith of ʿAmr ibn Ḥazm رضي الله عنه:
"أَنْ لَا يَمَسَّ الْقُرْآنَ إِلَّا طَاهِرٌ"
“That no one should touch the Qur’an except a purified person.”
[Muwaṭṭaʾ Mālik 1/199, Sunan al-Dārimī 2/527, Muṣannaf ʿAbd al-Razzāq 1/341, Sunan al-Bayhaqī 1/88, Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 3/72, Musnad Aḥmad 4/136]
✔ This statement appears in the written letter of the Prophet ﷺ to ʿAmr ibn Ḥazm رضي الله عنه, and has been graded ḥasan (sound) and ṣaḥīḥ (authentic) by Hadith scholars.
➋ Narration of Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ رضي الله عنه:
"كنا مع النبي ﷺ، فقال: لا يمس القرآن إلا طاهر."
“We were with the Prophet ﷺ, and he said: No one should touch the Qur’an except a purified person.”
[Al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ li al-Ṭabarānī, Hadith 5081; Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 3/72]
✔ These narrations clearly prove the prohibition of touching the Qur’an without wudu.
➊ Salman al-Fārsī رضي الله عنه said:
"لا يمسّ القرآن إلا المطهرون."
“None may touch the Qur’an except the purified.”
[Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah 1/121, Hadith 1466]
➋ Abdullah ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما said:
"لا يمسّ المصحف إلا الطاهر."
“None may touch the Mushaf except a purified person.”
[Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah 1/121, Hadith 1467; Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 3/72]
✔ These statements affirm that the Sahabah unanimously held that it is not permissible to touch the Qur’an without wudu.
➊ Imam al-Nawawī رحمه الله said:
“There is consensus among Muslims that a person in a state of minor impurity may not touch the Mushaf.”
[Al-Majmūʿ Sharḥ al-Muhadhdhab 2/80]
➋ Imam Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr رحمه الله said:
“The fuqahāʾ from among the Sahabah and Tabiʿin agreed that none may touch the Mushaf except one who is purified from hadath (impurity).”
[Al-Tamhīd 17/349]
➌ Imam Ibn Qudāmah al-Ḥanbalī رحمه الله said:
“It is not permissible to touch the Mushaf except for one who has wudu. This is the view of ʿAlī, Ibn Masʿūd, Saʿd, Ibn ʿAbbās, ʿAṭāʾ, Ṭāwūs, al-Shaʿbī, al-Nakhaʿī, al-Ḥakam, Ḥammād, Mālik, al-Shāfiʿī, Isḥāq, and Abū ʿUbayd.”
[Al-Mughnī 1/193]
➍ Imam al-Shāfiʿī رحمه الله said:
“No one may touch the Mushaf except one who is in a state of purity.”
[Al-Umm 1/45]
✔ These statements reflect a unanimous agreement among the four Imams and majority of Hadith scholars and jurists that touching the Qur’an without wudu is not allowed.
Based on the above Qur’anic verses, Hadith, statements of the Companions, and unanimous scholarly opinions, the following points are clear:
① Surah al-Waqiʿah (79) explicitly declares that only the purified may touch the Qur’an.
② Authentic Ahadith clearly prohibit touching the Qur’an without wudu.
③ The Sahabah had ijmaʿ (consensus) on the prohibition.
④ The Imams of Hadith and Fiqh are unanimous in this ruling.
➡ Therefore, anyone who considers it permissible to touch the Qur’an without wudu holds a view contrary to the Shar‘i evidences and the consensus of the Ummah, and such a position is invalid and rejected.
✍ Written by: Qari Usama bin Abd al-Salam ḥafiẓahullah
❀ Ruling on Touching the Qur'an Without Wudu: From the Qur'an and Hadith
✿ Proof from the Noble Qur'an
Allah Almighty says:
لَا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ
[Surah al-Wāqiʿah: 79]
"None shall touch it except the purified."
✧ Tafsir of the Mufassirīn:
◈ Imam al-Ṭabarī رحمه الله said:
“Only the one who is pure—i.e., free from impurity and defilement—may touch the Qur’an. This is also the position of a group among the Salaf.”
[Tafsir al-Ṭabarī 23/282]
◈ Imam al-Qurṭubī رحمه الله said:
“This verse indicates that only a pure person may touch the Qur’an, as stated in a narrated Hadith.”
[Al-Jāmiʿ li Aḥkām al-Qur’ān 17/205]
✔ This verse clearly establishes that only those in a state of purity (ṭahārah) may touch the Qur’an—meaning those not in a state of major or minor impurity.
✿ Proof from the Noble Hadith
➊ Hadith of ʿAmr ibn Ḥazm رضي الله عنه:
"أَنْ لَا يَمَسَّ الْقُرْآنَ إِلَّا طَاهِرٌ"
“That no one should touch the Qur’an except a purified person.”
[Muwaṭṭaʾ Mālik 1/199, Sunan al-Dārimī 2/527, Muṣannaf ʿAbd al-Razzāq 1/341, Sunan al-Bayhaqī 1/88, Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 3/72, Musnad Aḥmad 4/136]
✔ This statement appears in the written letter of the Prophet ﷺ to ʿAmr ibn Ḥazm رضي الله عنه, and has been graded ḥasan (sound) and ṣaḥīḥ (authentic) by Hadith scholars.
➋ Narration of Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ رضي الله عنه:
"كنا مع النبي ﷺ، فقال: لا يمس القرآن إلا طاهر."
“We were with the Prophet ﷺ, and he said: No one should touch the Qur’an except a purified person.”
[Al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ li al-Ṭabarānī, Hadith 5081; Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 3/72]
✔ These narrations clearly prove the prohibition of touching the Qur’an without wudu.
✿ Proof from the Sayings of the Companions
➊ Salman al-Fārsī رضي الله عنه said:
"لا يمسّ القرآن إلا المطهرون."
“None may touch the Qur’an except the purified.”
[Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah 1/121, Hadith 1466]
➋ Abdullah ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما said:
"لا يمسّ المصحف إلا الطاهر."
“None may touch the Mushaf except a purified person.”
[Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah 1/121, Hadith 1467; Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 3/72]
✔ These statements affirm that the Sahabah unanimously held that it is not permissible to touch the Qur’an without wudu.
✿ Position of the Imams of Hadith and Fiqh
➊ Imam al-Nawawī رحمه الله said:
“There is consensus among Muslims that a person in a state of minor impurity may not touch the Mushaf.”
[Al-Majmūʿ Sharḥ al-Muhadhdhab 2/80]
➋ Imam Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr رحمه الله said:
“The fuqahāʾ from among the Sahabah and Tabiʿin agreed that none may touch the Mushaf except one who is purified from hadath (impurity).”
[Al-Tamhīd 17/349]
➌ Imam Ibn Qudāmah al-Ḥanbalī رحمه الله said:
“It is not permissible to touch the Mushaf except for one who has wudu. This is the view of ʿAlī, Ibn Masʿūd, Saʿd, Ibn ʿAbbās, ʿAṭāʾ, Ṭāwūs, al-Shaʿbī, al-Nakhaʿī, al-Ḥakam, Ḥammād, Mālik, al-Shāfiʿī, Isḥāq, and Abū ʿUbayd.”
[Al-Mughnī 1/193]
➍ Imam al-Shāfiʿī رحمه الله said:
“No one may touch the Mushaf except one who is in a state of purity.”
[Al-Umm 1/45]
✔ These statements reflect a unanimous agreement among the four Imams and majority of Hadith scholars and jurists that touching the Qur’an without wudu is not allowed.
Conclusion
Based on the above Qur’anic verses, Hadith, statements of the Companions, and unanimous scholarly opinions, the following points are clear:
① Surah al-Waqiʿah (79) explicitly declares that only the purified may touch the Qur’an.
② Authentic Ahadith clearly prohibit touching the Qur’an without wudu.
③ The Sahabah had ijmaʿ (consensus) on the prohibition.
④ The Imams of Hadith and Fiqh are unanimous in this ruling.
➡ Therefore, anyone who considers it permissible to touch the Qur’an without wudu holds a view contrary to the Shar‘i evidences and the consensus of the Ummah, and such a position is invalid and rejected.
