“There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book, By which Allah guides those who pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace and brings them out from darknesses into the light, by His permission, and guides them to a straight path.”
Qur’an [5:15,16]
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon Him) said:
“Recite the Qur’an, for on the Day of Resurrection it will come as an intercessor for those who recite It.” (Muslim)
And He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon Him) also said:
“One who was devoted to the Qur’an will be told to recite, ascend and recite carefully as he recited carefully when he was in the world, for he will reach his abode when he comes to the last verse he recites.” (Graded as Sahih by AL-Albani)
We should all accordingly think about our position with the Qur’an. Are we neglecting it, contradicting it, and being heedless of its orders and prohibitions? Are we thinking deeply over it? Will it be on our side on the Day of Judgement?
The Prophet (Peace be upon Him) told us in the Hadeeth:
“And the Qur’an is a proof for you or against you.” (Muslim)
May Allah give us the honor to be from among the ones who were devoted to the Qur’an in the Day of Judgement, and may Allah make the Noble Qur’an as proof for us not against us.
Who wrote the Qur’an and how was it put together?
Allah says in the Qur’an (interpretation of the meaning): “Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur’an and indeed We will be its guardian.” [15:9]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon Him) appointed a group of His companions who were trustworthy and knowledgeable to write down the revelation. They are known in their biographies as those who wrote down the Revelation, such as the four Caliphs, Abd-Allah ibn Amr ibn AL-Aas, Mu’aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan, Zayd ibn Thaabit and others (may Allah be pleased with them all).
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Twenty essential Fatwas regarding the Qur’an and reciting it
1) Is it permissible to read the Qur’an in a language other than Arabic?
The majority of the scholars say that it is not permissible to read it in any language other than Arabic. The evidence for this is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an.” [12:2]
Moreover, the Qur’an is a miracle in its wording and its meaning; if it is changed, this is no longer the case, and it is no longer Qur’an but an interpretation (tafseer).
See Full Fatwa – islamqa.info2) Is it essential to move the tongue when reciting Qur’an and dhikr?
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “Recitation must be done with the tongue. If a person recites it in his heart when he is praying, that is not sufficient. The same applies to all other adhkaar; it is not sufficient to recite them in one’s heart, rather it is essential to move one’s tongue and lips, because they are words to be spoken, and that can only be achieved by moving the tongue and the lips.” [Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen]
The most perfect of dhikr is that in which the heart and tongue are both focused, then that which is in the heart only, then that which is on the tongue only. In all cases there is reward, in sha Allaah.
See Full Fatwa – islamqa.info3) Ruling on exaggerating in beautifying the voice while reciting the Qur’an or imitating someone else’s recitation
Beautifying the voice when reciting Qur’an is something mustahabb (desirable) that is encouraged in many texts, such as the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him):
“Adorn the Qur’an with your voices.” [Al-Albani : Sahih]
So being keen to beautify one’s voice when reciting Qur’an is something that is prescribed in Islam, and it is not regarded as blameworthy effort or showing off.
But if one aims in doing that is to show how beautiful his voice is and how good his recitation is so that people will praise him for it, then this is a kind of showing off and he has to strive against these thoughts so that his action will be sincerely for the sake of Allah alone.
But it should be noted that ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “We were prohibitted from attitudinizing” [Al-Bukhari]
So it is not permissible for the believer to recite Qur’an with melodies like those of songs or in the manner of singers.
He has to recite it as it was recited by our righteous predecessors, the companions of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and those who followed them in truth. So it should be recited with the proper intonation (tarteel), in a solemn and humble manner, without attitudinizing or exaggerating in imitating someone else’s recitation, so that it may have an effect on the hearts of those who hear it and on the heart of the reciter himself.
See Fatwa 2 – islamqa.info
4) Ruling on reciting Isti’aathah and Basmalah before one starts reciting the Qur’an
The majority of scholars as well as scholars of recitation of the Quran are of the view that it is recommended to say the Isti’aathah [saying: A‘oothu Billaahi min Ash-Shaytaan Ar-Rajeem (I seek refuge in Allah from The Accursed Satan)] when one starts reading the Qur’an.
However, some scholars are of the view that it is obligatory.
With regard to Basmalah [saying: Bismillaah Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem (In the name of Allah The Most Merciful The Ever Merciful)], the seven reciters of the Qur’an unanimously agreed that it should be recited at the beginning of any Soorah of the Qur’an except the Soorah of At-Tawbah (Soorah no. 9)
As for Soorah of At-Tawbah (Soorah no. 9), Basmalah must not be recited at the beginning according to the consensus of scholars.
However, one has the option either to say or leave Basmalah when he recites any part of the Soorah other than the beginning.
See Full Fatwa – islamweb.net5) Ruling on a person touching/reciting the Qur’an while in the state of minor/major impurity
It is not permissible for a Muslim to touch the Qur’an when he or she is in the state of major impurity, i.e., when he/she is junub (with reason of sexual discharge), or she is experiencing Haydh or Nifaas (menstrual cycle or post natal bleeding).
And it is not permissible for a Muslim to touch the Qur’an when he does not have wudoo’ too (while in the state of minor impurity) according to the majority of scholars.
In the case of touching the Mushaf using a barrier such as the bag in which it is placed or gloves and the like, it is permissible to do so.
The one who is junub should not recite Qur’an either from the Mus-haf or from memory, until he/she has becomes pure and has performed ghusl (taken a bath). But the one who has broken his wudoo’ and is impure in the sense of minor impurity may recite Qur’an from memory but he/she should not touch the Mushaf (unless he/she uses a barrier).
Woman experiencing Haydh or Nifas is allowed to recite the Qur’an from memory without touching the Mus-haf according to the majority of Scholars (unless she uses a barrier), especially if she needs to do that for fear of forgetting (what she had memorised), or to study for a test, or to seek healing thereby.
It is allowed for the junub or the woman experiencing Hadh or Nifas to touch the Quran on a device (like the smart phones).
The scholars clearly stated that taking the Mus-haf into bathrooms (toilets) and other unclean places is haraam (forbidden), because that is disrespectful towards the words of Allah.
With regard to cell-phones or any devices on which Qur’an has been saved as texts or recorded inside them, it is permissible to take them into bathrooms (toilets) as long as the Qur’an is hidden and not being shown.
However, if a person fears that it may be stolen if he leaves it outside the bathroom, or he is afraid that he will forget it, then there is no sin on him if he takes it in, because it is essential to protect it.
Tapes are not like Mus-hafs, because tapes do not contain any writing. And it is allowed for a person to listen to the recitation of the Qur’an when he is in the sate of minor/major impurity.
As for listening to the Qur’an when doing ghusl or relieving oneself, there is no sin in it, because it is not mentioning Allah inside the toilet, as the recorder is outside the bathroom.
It is permissible for a person to touch a translation of the meanings of the Qur’an in a language other than Arabic and a tafseer that is written in Arabic when he is in the state of minor/major impurity.
See Fatwa 1 – islamq.infoSee Fatwa 2 – islamq.info
See Fatwa 3 – islamq.info
See Fatwa 4 – islamq.info
See Fatwa 5 – islamq.info
See Fatwa 6 – islamq.info
See Fatwa 7 – islamq.info
See Rulings on Haydh, Istihaadah & Nifaas for women
6) Ruling on learning the rules of Tajweed in order to apply them while reciting the Qur’an
The view of the scholars of Tajweed and the majority of Fiqh scholars is that it is obligatory to learn Tajweed and to apply Tajweed rules while reciting Qur’an ( especially to avoid clear mistakes, which usually change obvious things and change the meaning of the verses ).
Imam Muhammad Ibn Al-Jazari (may Allah have mercy upon him), who was a great Quran and Hadeeth scholar, said:
“And applying Tajweed is an issue of absolute necessity, Whoever doesn’t apply Tajweed to the Quran, then a sinner is he.”
Some scholars of Fiqh said that it is not obligatory to learn Tajweed, noting that the scholars of this view agreed that applying Tajweed rules is the most important etiquette of reciting the Holy Qur’an.
See Full Fatwa – islamweb.net7) Rulings on Prostration of Recitation
Sujood al-tilaawah (Prostration of Recitation), whether during Prayer or outside of it, is Sunnah, and not obligatory.
And it is not essential to have wudoo’ for doing sujood al-tilaawah outside the Prayer.
Prostration of Recitation is only one Prostration and it is prescribed to say takbeer when doing Prostration of Recitation outside the Prayer.
But when it is done during the Prayer, it is obligatory to say takbeer when going down and when coming up.
It is prescribed to say the same in sujood al-tilaawah as in the prostration in Prayer.
I.e., saying: “Subhaana Rabbiy al-A’laa” (Glory be to my Lord Most High), or any prescribed du’aa’ or dhikr.
In the case of repeating the verse of prostration for the purpose of memorisation, it is sufficient to do one prostration, so as to avoid hardship and difficulty. So one should prostrate when reciting the verse of prostration for the first time, then not repeat the prostration again.
It is not required to face the Qibla in sujood al-tilaawah, but facing the Qibla will be preferable.
When listening to a verse in which a prostration is required on the computer or a recorder or any device, it seems for the earlier Scholars that it is not required to prostrate for that.
See Fatwa 1 – islamqa.infoSee Fatwa 2 – islamqa.info
See Fatwa 3 – islamqa.info
8) Is putting on hijab a condition of reading Qur’an for women?
It is not obligatory for a woman to put on hijaab in order to read Qur’an, because there is no evidence to indicate that this is obligatory.
It is better for a woman if she comes across a verse where a prostration is prescribed to prostrate with her head covered, but if she does the prostration without a cover, we hope that there is nothing wrong with that, because Prostration of Recitation does not come under the rulings on Prayer – rather it is an act of submission and drawing close to Allah, like all other kinds of dhikr and good deeds.
See Fatwa 1 – islamqa.infoSee Fatwa 2 – islamqa.info
9) Ruling on gathering to recite the Qur’an
In the saheeh Sunnah there are many reports which speak of the virtues of gathering to read the Book of Allah, but in order for the Muslim to attain those rewards, he should ensure that the gathering is in accordance with sharee’ah. One of the prescribed ways in which people may gather to read Qur’an is for the people gathered to read together for the purpose of study, learning the meanings and how to recite properly.
Another kind of gathering that is prescribed is for each of them to read and the others to listen, so that they may ponder the meanings of the verses.
It is not prescribed to distribute ajza’ (parts) of the Qur’an to those who are present so that each one of them may read a hizb or part of the Qur’an, because it is not necessarily regarded as a complete reading of the Qur’an on the part of each one of them.
It is not prescribed to say du’aa’ together after reading Qur’an, and it is not permissible to pray that the reward for the reading go to any of the dead or the living.
See Fatwa 1 – islamq.infoSee Fatwa 2 – islamq.info
10) Ruling on one raising his voice while reciting Qur’an or dhikr
If people were listening to the recitation of that person or were willing to listen to it, then there is nothing wrong in that [i.e. this is permissible].
If someone recites the Qur’an and others listen to his recitation, then this is among the desirable methods of reciting the Qur’an.
On the other hand, if the group does not want to listen because of being preoccupied by something else, and if they hear the voice of the reciter, it would probably disturb them or harm them, then, in this case, one should not raise his voice (while reciting).
See Full Fatwa – islamweb11) Ruling on listening attentively to recitation of the Qur’an while being outside of Prayer
The scholars differed concerning the ruling on listening attentively to recitation of Qur’an while being outside of Prayer. There are two opinions:
The first view is that is it obligatory, and the second view is that it is mustahabb and recommended.
12) Ruling on facing the Qiblah when reciting the Qur’an
The jurists (scholars of Fiqh) may Allah have mercy upon them mentioned that it is desirable to recite the Quran while facing the Qiblah. Their evidence for this is the Prophetic narration which reads:
“There is a Sayyid (i.e. Master) for everything, and the Sayyid of the manner of sitting is to face the Qiblah.” [Al-Albani : Sahih]
13) What is the sunnah with regard to siwaak?
Siwaak means cleaning the mouth and teeth with a siwaak, which is the name given to the tool used. The siwaak is a stick or twig used for this purpose.
Siwaak is a method of cleaning the mouth which also earns the pleasure of Allah, as is proven in the hadeeth that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Siwaak cleanses the mouth and pleases the Lord.” [Al-Bukhari]
Siwaak is recommended at all times of night and day, and it is even more strongly encouraged when making wudoo’ and at times of Prayer, when entering one’s home to be with one’s family, when getting up from sleep, when the smell of one’s mouth changes, When going to the mosque and When reading Qur’an and joining gatherings in which Allah is remembered (dhikr).
See Full Fatwa – islamqa.info14) Responding to the muezzin (the person who gives call to Prayer) is better than reading Qur’an
If a person is reading Qur’an and the muezzin gives the call to Prayer, it is better for him to stop reading and focus on following the muezzin, in obedience to the general meaning of the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him):
“When you hear the muezzin, say what he says.” [Muslim]
So delaying it will mean he misses the right time for doing it, which is the time of the adhaan.
See Full Fatwa – islamqa.info15) Ruling on reciting a du’aa’ (supplication) after completing the Qur’an inside/outside the Prayer
It is narrated that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) Recited a du’aa’ after completing it when not praying.
With regard to inside the Prayer, there is no basis for reciting any du’aa’ after completing the Qur’an whilst praying.
See Full Fatwa – islamqa.info16) The virtue of reciting some verses of Qur’an just before going to sleep
In the Sunnah it is recommended for the Muslim to recite certain verses when he goes to bed.
Among the soorahs and verses which we are recommended to recite are:
Ayat al-Kursiy (al-Baqarah 2:255), The last two verses of Soorat al-Baqarah, Soorat al-Kaafiroon (No. 109) and al-Ikhlaas and al-Mi’wadhatayn (the last three soorahs of the Qur’an).
17) The revelation of the Qur’an in seven styles (ahruf, plural of harf), the seven readers of the Qur’an
The Qur’an was revealed in one style at the beginning, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) kept asking Jibreel until he taught him seven styles, all of which were complete. The evidence for that is the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas who narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Jibreel taught me one style and I reviewed it until he taught me more, and I kept asking him for more and he gave me more until finally there were seven styles.” [Agreed Upon]
The best of the scholarly opinions concerning what is meant is that there are seven ways of reciting the Qur’an, where the wording may differ but the meaning is the same; if there is a different meaning then it is by way of variations on a theme, not opposing and contradiction.
With regard to the seven recitations (al-qiraa’at al-saba’), this number is not based on the Qur’an and Sunnah, rather it is the ijtihaad (judgment) of Ibn Mujaahid (may Allah have mercy on him).
The seven recitations are one of the seven styles, and this is the style that ‘Uthmaan bin Affan (may Allah be pleaesed with him) chose for all the Muslims.
The seven readers or reciters were: Naafi’ al-Madani, Ibn Katheer al-Makki, ‘Aasim al-Kufi, Hamzah al-Zayaat al-Kufi, Al-Kisaa’i al-Kufi, Abu ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ala’ al-Basri and ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Aamir al-Shaami.
See Full Fatwa – islamqa.info18) The fundamentals of Tafseer (interpretation) of the Holy Qur’an
It should be noted that the Tafseer of the Holy Qur’an has fundamentals in a science known as ‘ilm usool al-tafseer.
The scholars have written in the fundamentals of interpretation, and they have explained the difference between the Tafseer on the basis of narrated texts and Tafseer on the basis of understandable interpretation, and they explained when the man can say in his opinion, and they divided between the good and the indignant opinion.
The scholars said that the Qur’an is explained by: the Qur’an itself, the Sound Sunnah, the Sayings of the Righteous Predecessors (As-salaf As-Salih), knowledge in Arabic language, knowledge in some of the narrated texts of the people of the scripture, and knowledge in the reasons the reasons for revelation of the Qur’anic Verses.
So if an explanation of a verse or a word in the Qur’an has reached us from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), it is obligatory for us to adhere to it and be content with it.
But if the mufassir (the scholar of Tafseer) cannot find any explanation for a verse in the Sunnah, he should look at the sayings of the Sahaabah (Companions).
If in any case the tafseer of the Sahaabah was based on their own ijtihaad (judgment) and understanding, and their ijtihaad takes precedence over that of those who came after them, because they accompanied the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and were aware of the circumstances in which the verses of the Qur’an were revealed, such as the reasons for revelation and the place where revelation came down.
If the mufassir does not find anything in the words of the Sahaabah to explain the meaning of the verse, then he should look at the tafseer of the Taabi‘een (Followers), who acquired their knowledge from the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon them), because in their circumstances, words, deeds and time they were – naturally – closer to the Sahaabah and to their teachings and were able to learn from them directly.
See Fatwa 1 – islamqa.infoSee Fatwa 2 – islamqa.info
19) What should one do when there is a conflict between shar‘i texts?
It should be noted that there is no real conflict between any two verses of the Holy Qur’an or between any two sound hadiths or between a verse and a sound hadeeth, and if there seems to be a contradiction between two of these texts, it is ostensibly opposed to what appears to be our minds, not a real contradiction.
It is well known that many shar‘i rulings were introduced in stages, paying attention to people’s circumstances at the time of the revelation. So something may have been mustahabb at the beginning, then it became obligatory, or it may have been permitted then it was forbidden, or vice versa.
If two shar‘i texts contradict one another, the first thing we must do is try to reconcile between them in an acceptable manner. If that is not possible then we should follow the later of the two texts. If it is not known which is the later one, we should examine them to find out which report is more credible and adopt it.
It is essential to note that the methodology of the fuqaha’ in reconciling between shar‘i texts may differ in application from one faqeeh to another. Some of them may find a way to reconcile the texts, whilst others may think that reconciling between two hadeeths is farfetched, so they may decide that one abrogates the other or they may examine them in order to determine which is more credible, and so on.
See Full Fatwa – islamqa.info20) Abrogation in the Qur’an, and the order of its soorahs and verses
Naskh (abrogation) in Arabic means lifting and removing. In Islamic terminology it means lifting a ruling indicated by a shar‘i text, on the basis of evidence from the Qur’an or Sunnah.
The concept of abrogation is based on the Qur’an and Sunnah, and on the consensus (ijmaa‘) of Ahl as-Sunnah, and there is great wisdom behind it. In most cases the abrogation was for the purpose of making things easier for the Muslims or increasing the rewards.
Allah, may He be exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning):
“Whatever a Verse (revelation) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better one or similar to it. Know you not that Allah is able to do all things? Know you not that it is Allah to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth? And besides Allah you have neither any Walee (protector or guardian) nor any helper.” [2:106,107]
The types of Abrogation in the Qur’an are:
– Abrogation of the verses and the ruling.
– Abrogation of the verses but not the ruling.
– Abrogation of the ruling but not the verses.
Abrogation of the Sunnah by the Qur’an is possible.
With regard to the issue of the Sunnah abrogating texts of the Holy Qur’an, the scholars differed concerning it, the view of the majority of scholars of usool is that it is not possible for the Sunnah narrated in aahaad reports to abrogate the Holy Qur’an.
With regard to the Sunnah limiting the general meaning of Qur’anic texts, the majority of scholars of usool are of the view that it is possible.
With regard to the order in which verses appear, the scholars are unanimously agreed that the order in which they appear in a single soorah is a tawqeefi matter (i.e., as determined by Allah and His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)), and the matter was not subject to the ijtihaad of the Sahaabah (Companions).
With regard to the order in which the soorahs appear, there is a difference of scholarly opinion concerning this matter. The majority are of the view that it resulted from the ijtihaad of the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them), although they that the order of some of those soorahs was determined at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
With regard to the naming of the soorahs, some of them were named by the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and some were named by the ijtihaad of the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them).
See Fatwa 1 – islamqa.infoSee Fatwa 2 – islamqa.info
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