Reciting the Qur'an from a smartphone without ablution

Question

Is it permissible to recite the Qur'an through a smartphone or tablet without wudu'? I heard that women, because of menstruation, cannot recite the Qur'an by:

• touching a mus'haf
• uttering words from the Qur'an.

Please assist me.

Answer 1

Your question can be divided into four subcategories.

A) Can a woman on menses touch the Book of Quran (Mus’haf)?

All highly esteemed scholar say, “No.” They use the following hadeeth and ayah as evidence:

وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ رَحِمَهُ اَللَّهُ عمرو بن حزم: { أَنَّ فِي اَلْكِتَابِ اَلَّذِي كَتَبَهُ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ ‏- صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏-لِعَمْرِو بْنِ حَزْمٍ: "أنْ لا يَمَسَّ القرآنَ إلا طاهرٌ" المحدث : الألباني | المصدر : تخريج مشكاة المصابيح الصفحة أو الرقم: 443 | خلاصة حكم المحدث : صحيح

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin Abu Bakr: The book written by Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) for ‘Amr bin Hazm also contained: “ None except a pure person should touch the Quran”. Deemed Saheeh by Al-Albani, 443 in Mishkat Al-Masabeeh.

إِنَّهُۥ لَقُرْءَانٌۭ كَرِيمٌۭ [٧٧] فِى كِتَـٰبٍۢ مَّكْنُونٍۢ [٧٨] لَّا يَمَسُّهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱلْمُطَهَّرُونَ [٥٦:٧٩]
Indeed, it is a noble Qur'an (77) In a Register well-protected; (78) None touch it except the purified. (Al-Waaqi’ah: 79)

In their tafseer of the above ayat, Al-Jalalayn say, “this is a reference to the Mus’haf.” As such, the reference here is to the actual Book not the words in the Book, so this is a prohibition against touching the Book of Quran by the impure.

Some scholars say that a woman on menses has the same ruling as a person on Janabah (impure because of sexual intercourse) since washing (ghusl) is needed in both for purity, and since both are not allowed to pray until the person is pure.

B) Can a woman on menses utter words from the Quran such as ayat of supplication (Doaa) or remembrance of Allah (Thikr) without touching the Mus’haf (the Quran Book)?

All highly esteemed scholars say, “Yes.” All supplication (Doaa) and remembrance of Allah (Thikr) from notebooks, pieces of paper, booklets, smartphones, tablets, and computers are allowed, but not from the Quran Book (Mus’haf).

Mentioning Allah (Thikr) and making supplication (Doaa) are a must on all Muslims, and no one is excluded from this order; those who do not do so are considered arrogant. Scholars use many verses and ahadeeth as evidence:

وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿الجمعة: ١٠﴾
And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah often that you may succeed. (AlJum’ah: 10)

وَمَن يَعْشُ عَن ذِكْرِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُۥ شَيْطَـٰنًۭا فَهُوَ لَهُۥ قَرِينٌۭ [٤٣:٣٦]
And whoever is blinded from remembrance of the Most Merciful - We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion. (AzZukhruf:36)

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدْعُونِىٓ أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِى سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ [٤٠:٦٠] And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you." Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible. (Ghafir: 60)

This is a hadeeth with the same meaning:

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قَالَ ‏ "‏ مَنْ قَعَدَ مَقْعَدًا لَمْ يَذْكُرِ اللَّهَ فِيهِ كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ اللَّهِ تِرَةً وَمَنِ اضْطَجَعَ مَضْجَعًا لاَ يَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ فِيهِ كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ اللَّهِ تِرَةً ‏"‏

Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Prophet (ﷺ) > said: If anyone sits at a place where he does not remember Allah, deprivation will descend on him from Allah; and if he lies at a place where he does not remember Allah, deprivation will descend on him from Allah. (Sunan Abi Dawud 4856- Deemed Saheeh by Al-Albani)

A woman is not to touch the Arabic Quran Book with her hands when she is on menses. However, if she has an Ayah written somewhere other than in the actual Quran Book, handling it depends on her intention. If she uses the ayah as supplication (Doaa) or remembrance (Thikr), then she can say it and read it at any time. Indeed, Doaa and Thikr, even if they are verses, are not treated like Quran.

C) Can a woman on menses read Quran without touching the Book (Mus’haf)?

There is a difference of opinion about reading Quran without touching the Book (Mus’haf) when a woman is on her menses. Some say a woman cannot, and some say she can.

Those who say she cannot explain the above ayat and hadeeth as referring to the Quran, Book and words. They also refer to a weak hadeeth narrated by Ibn Umar:

ما روي من حديث ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : " لا تقرأ الحائض ولا الجنب شيئاً من القرآن " رواه الترمذي (131) وابن ماجه (595) والدارقطني (1/117) والبيهقي (1/89) وهو حديث ضعيف

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The menstruating woman and the one who is in a state of impurity (janabah) should not recite anything of the Quran.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 131; Ibn Maajah, 595; al-Daaraqutni (1/117); al-Bayhaqi, 1/89. This is a da’eef (weak) hadeeth because it was reported by Ismaa’eel ibn ‘Ayyaash whose narrations are weak.

Those who say she can, including Malik, Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Tayymeyah, and Ash-Shawkani, use the following evidence:

1. Allah has distinguished between Quran and Kitab (book) in the above ayat.

2. The baseline in Islam is that things are allowed and permitted unless there is evidence to the contrary, and there is no authentic evidence that forbids menstruating women from reading Quran without touching the Book.

   قال شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية "ليس في منع الحائض من القراءة نصوص صريحة صحيحة وقال : ومعلوم أن النساء كن يحضن على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، ولم يكن ينههن عن قراءة القرآن ، كما لم يكن ينههن عن الذكر والدعاء" .

   “There is no clear, authentic text to indicate that a menstruating woman is forbidden to recite Quran… It is known that women used to menstruate at the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and he did not forbid them to recite Quran, or to remember Allah (dhikr) and offer doaa.” (Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah)

3. There are differences between menstruating women and those in a state of janabah (impure because of a sexual intercourse). The later has the option of washing to remove the janabah (ghusl), but the former, menstruating women, do not have this option until their menses are over. Menses usually lasts for three to ten days; however, those in a state of janaabah are required to wash (ghusl) within hours when it is time to pray.

4. Allah commands all Muslims men and women to recite Quran, praises those who do so, and promises them great reward. Preventing menstruating women from reciting Quran deprives them of the reward.

5. Menstruating women may be in the process of memorizing or reviewing their memorized verses, or they may need to teach it or learn it. Preventing them from doing so, may cause uncalled for hardship.

6. Menstruating women may experience depression and mood swings, and reciting Quran will help them cope with that emotional time.

Indeed, if a woman wants to read Quran by holding the Book, she can wear gloves or hold the book with a cloth. Indeed, Sheikh Mohamed Saleh Al-Munajid says,

ولذلك فإذا أرادت الحائض أن تقرأ في المصحف فإنها تمسكه بشيء منفصل عنه كخرقة طاهرة أو تلبس قفازا ، أو تقلب أوراق المصحف بعود أو قلم ونحو ذلك ، وجلدة المصحف المخيطة أو الملتصقة به لها حكم المصحف في المسّ ، والله تعالى أعلم .

“If a menstruating woman wants to read Quran from the Book, she should hold it through a barrier like a cloth or she can wear gloves, or she can turn the pages using a stick or a pen, etc. The cover, which is sewn on or glued on the Quran Book, has the same ruling as the Mus’haf. Allah knows best.” (https://islamqa.info/ar/2564 translated by me)

D) Can a woman on menses read Quran from smartphones, tablets, and computers?

All highly esteemed scholars say, “Yes.” Reading the Quran from an electronic device while on one's period is allowed since the device does not have actual words, the words are made of electronic signals.

وقراءة القرآن من الجوال فيها تيسير للحائض ، ومن يتعذر عليه حمل المصحف معه ، أو كان في موضع يشق عليه فيه الوضوء ، لعدم اشتراط الطهارة لمسه كما سبق .

"Reading Qur’aan on a mobile phone makes it easy for women who are menstruating and one who cannot easily carry a Mus-haf with him, or one who is in a place where it is difficult for him to do wudoo’, because it is not essential for the one who touches it to be in a state of purity, as mentioned above." (https://islamqa.info/en/106961)

Besides, in order to count anything as the Quran Book (Mus’haf), it should have more than 50% of its content the words of Allah in Arabic. This is the opinion of Ibn Tayymeyah and Ash-Shafi'i. Indeed, the cell phone or the tablet has more than 50% of its content as other apps and other information.

وقال شيخ الإسلام رحمه الله : " فإن كُتب مع القرآن غيره ، فالحكم للأغلب ، فيجوز مس كتب التفسير ، والحديث ، والفقه ، والرسائل التي فيها شيء من القرآن في المشهور عنه ؛ لأنها ليست مصحفاً " انتهى من " شرح العمدة " (1/385) .

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Tayymeyah said: “If something else is written alongside the Qur’anic text, then the ruling depends on whichever forms the majority of the book. It is permissible to touch books of tafseer, hadith, fiqh and essays that contain something from the Qur’an, according to the well-known view narrated from him, because such books are not Mushafs.” (Sharh al-‘Umdah (1/385) https://islamqa.info/en/197285)

The evidence quoted by Ibn Tayymeyah include the fact that the Prophet ﷺ sent letters to nonMuslim kings and rulers including verses from the Quran.

May Allah make us among those who recite Quran all the time, and may He make the Quran our companion in the hereafter.

Answer 2

Asalaam Alaikum

It is permissible to recite the Quran from memory without being in a state of ritual ablution (wudu). But it remains recommended to perform the ritual ablution beforehand as it entails greater veneration (tadhim) and respect.

So you can recite Quran but recommended is to do ablution (wudu)

Note that :

it is impermissible to recite the Qur’an whilst in a state of major ritual impurity (janaba) as the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) forbade us from doing so

Author : Ustadh Tabraze Azam Source : Link Here