Conditions for Permissibility of Touching Mushaf

ما يشترط لجواز مس المصحف

Conditions for Permissibility of Touching the Mushaf

Translated by: Reza Ervani bin Asmanu

This article on the Conditions for Permissibility of Touching Mushaf is part of the Islamic Question and Answers

السؤال

Question:

سؤالي ما هوالواجب لمس المصحف وما الفرق بين الطهارة والوضوء وهل الوضوء غير مطلوب لمس المصحف ولكن الطهارة فقط؟ ولكم شكري.

My question is: What is required to be allowed to touch the Mushaf? What is the difference between ṭahārah and wudhū’? Is wudhu not required for touching the Mushaf and only general purity (ṭahārah) is sufficient? Thank you.

الإجابــة

Answer:

الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، وعلى آله وصحبه، أما بعد:

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and companions. To proceed:

فلا يجوز أن يمس المصحف الكافر لأنه نجس الاعتقاد ، كما قال الله تعالى:

A non-believer is not permitted to touch the Mushaf because he is impure in belief, as Allah the Exalted says:

(إِنَّمَا الْمُشْرِكُونَ نَجَسٌ فَلَا يَقْرَبُوا الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ بَعْدَ عَامِهِمْ هَذَا) [التوبة:٢٨]

“Indeed, the polytheists are impure, so let them not approach al-Masjid al-Haram after this, their [final] year.” (Surah at-Tawbah: 28)

فلا يجوز تمكينهم من دخول الحرم لشرفه وطهره، وكذلك لا يمكنون من مس المصحف ، فهو أعظم ، وأشرف ، وقد روى البخاري ومسلم عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال: “نهى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يسافر بالمصحف إلى أرض العدو”.

Thus, they are not allowed to enter the Sacred Precincts due to its sanctity and purity, nor are they allowed to touch the Mushaf, which is greater and more honored. It is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet ﷺ forbade carrying the Mushaf to the lands of the enemy.

ولا يجوز أن يمسه المسلم المحدث ، سواء كان حدثه أكبر ، أو أصغر ، لقول الله تعالى:

It is also not permissible for a Muslim in a state of minor or major impurity to touch the Mushaf, as Allah says:

(لَا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ) [الواقعة:٧٩]

“None touch it except the purified.” (Surah al-Waqi’ah: 79)

وروى ابن حبان في صحيحه والحاكم في المستدرك وغيرهما أنه جاء في كتاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ: 

It is also narrated by Ibn Hibban in his *Sahih*, and al-Hakim in *al-Mustadrak*, and others, that in the letter of the Prophet ﷺ to the people of Yemen, it was written:

“ولا يمس القرآن إلا طاهر”.

“No one should touch the Quran except one who is pure.”

ونقل المباركفوري عن الحافظ ابن عبد البر أنه قال: “وهو كتاب مشهور عند أهل السير معروف عند أهل العلم معرفة يستغني بها في شهرتها عن الإسناد لأنه أشبه المتواتر لتلقي الناس له بالقبول …”

Al-Mubarakfuri transmitted from al-Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Barr who said: “This letter is famous among the scholars of history and known among scholars to such an extent that its fame removes the need for a chain of narration. It is nearly mutawatir because of its widespread acceptance.”

فدلت الآية والحديث بعمومهما أنه لا يمس القرآن إلا طاهر ، فيشمل ذلك الطهارة من الكفر ، والطهارة من الحدث ، سواء كان أكبر ، أو أصغر ، كما يشمل الطهارة من الخبث ، والفرق بينهما أن الحدث الأكبر هو ما يوجب الغسل ، والأصغر ما يوجب الوضوء.

Thus, both the verse and hadith in their general wording indicate that none should touch the Quran except one who is pure—this includes being free from disbelief, free from major or minor impurity, and free from physical impurity (najis). The difference between major and minor impurity is that major impurity requires ghusl (ritual bath), while minor impurity requires wudu (ablution).

والفرق بين الطهارة والوضوء هو أن الطهارة أعم ، فالوضوء طهارة صغرى فقط.

The difference between ṭahārah and wudhū’ is that ṭahārah (purity) is broader; wudhu is a form of minor purification only.

والله أعلم.

And Allah knows best.

Source: IslamWeb