ETIQUETTES OF HANDLING THE HOLY QURAN

Allah – beginning with the name of – the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

All Praise to Allah (the Lord of the Creation) – and countless blessings upon our master the Holy Prophet Mohammed, upon his noble wives, his noble progeny, his noble companions and all those who rightly follow him until the Last Day.

Allah the Supreme states in the Holy Qur'an:-

ذَٰلِكَ وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ حُرُمَاتِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ ۗ وَأُحِلَّتْ لَكُمُ الْأَنْعَامُ إِلَّا مَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَاجْتَنِبُوا الرِّجْسَ مِنَ الْأَوْثَانِ وَاجْتَنِبُوا قَوْلَ الزُّورِ

So it is; and whoever reveres the sacred things of Allah – that is then a goodness for him in the sight of his Lord; the inarticulate animals are lawful to you except those the forbidding of which is recited to you, therefore shun the filth of idols, and avoid false speech. (Surah Hajj Verse 30)

ذَٰلِكَ وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ

So it is; and whoever reveres the symbols of Allah – this is then part of the piety of the hearts. (Surah Hajj Verse 32)

The above verses of the Holy Qur’an, were revealed during the course of Hajj undertaken by the Holy Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him). The symbols (or signs) of Allah are several – such as the Holy Prophet, the Holy Ka'ba, the Two Sacred Mosques, the Station of Ibrahim, the hillocks of Safa and Marwa, the miracles of the Holy Prophets, the alternation of Night and Day etc., and undoubtedly the Holy Qur’an itself.

The Holy Qur’an is the Speech of Allah, uncreated. It is one of His great attributes. It is therefore, in book form, the greatest of signs sent down to earth.

The Holy Qur’an is such a great and indisputable sign from Allah, that it is an open challenge to the entire world to bring a similar text like it or even a single chapter like it. In fact each and every Ayah (verse) of the Holy Qur’an is in itself one sign of Allah. Those who denied the Ayahs of the Holy Qur’an have been reprimanded in the Qur’an itself – that they deny the signs of Allah! Regarding the Holy Qur’an, the Holy Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) once said that each prophet has been given miracles, and my miracle is the holy Qur’an! He mentioned this one specifically because it is a miracle that will continue, and will continue to give guidance to billions of people until the Last Day.

On several occasions in the Qur’an and Hadith it has been strictly prohibited to defile those things which Allah has deemed sacred. And the Sign of Allah which we Muslims perhaps deal with the most is the Holy Qur’an. It is therefore imperative to know the proper manners of handling the Holy Qur’an – SOME OF WHICH are mentioned below:-

v It is unlawful (haraam) for someone requiring a compulsory bath (ghusl) to touch the Qur'an, even if it the Book is in a cover. Allah the Supreme states “None may touch it, except with ablution.” [Surah Waqiah –Verse 79].

v The Holy Qur’an must be read, as far as possible, whilst in a state of ablution. But touchng it is not allowed without ablution.

v It is permissible to touch books of Sacred Law (Shari'ah), Hadith, or Qur'anic tafsir, provided that most of their text is not Qur'an, or that one does not touch the Qur’an text within it without ablution.

v To always read it attentively; if one recites it whilst walking he must focus on its recitation.

v To ponder on its meanings whilst reading.

v When one finishes reading the Qur'an, not to leave it open.

v To place the Holy Qur’an which should always be higher than all other books.

v Not to place other books upon the Qur'an (even if they contain translations of the Qur’an), whether they are books of Sacred Knowledge or something else.

v To place the Qur'an in one’s hand when reading; or on something in front of one, but NOT on the floor.

v Not to wipe it from a slate with spittle, but rather wash it off with water; and if one washes it off with water, to avoid putting the water where there are unclean substances or where people walk.

v When writing the Qur'an, to do so in a clear, elegant hand.

v Not to write it on the ground or on walls, as is done in some new mosques.

v When passing it to someone, pass it with respect. Not to toss or throw it towards someone.

v Not to enter the lavatory carrying the Holy Qur’an. This is a great sin, and if done so on purpose, it is Kufr (blasphemy).

The above amply illustrates the importance of handling the Holy Qur’an with the deepest respect.

We hear some people saying, “Respect should be in the heart”. True. But does this mean that there is no need to handle the Book with respect? It is definitely incorrect to deem so. Actions reflect your inner feelings. How can one claim to have respect in the heart if actions are to the contrary?!

There are some who also say “the Qur’an needs to be read or adhered to in practice”. True. But does this mean that there is no need to handle the Book with respect? It is definitely incorrect to deem so. Only an ignoramus would claim to be following the Qur’an while going against the Holy Quran’s injunction of having deep respect for it.

A man named Bishr was coming home drunk one rainy night and he saw a piece of paper with some text on it lying in the mud. Upon closer examination he saw that the text contained the word ALLAH. He picked up the paper, cleaned it, and placed it in a high place in his house. Later on he had a dream in which he heard, "Because you raised Our Name high, We shall raise up your name in this world and the next." Bishr later became a great saint who is known even to many non-Muslims.

May Allah grant us the humility and reverence that is required in all the aspects of our beautiful religion. - Aameen

Aqib Farid alQadri

May he be forgiven