We need clarification concerning a matter of touching Quraan without wudhu

Question ID: 
1903
ray***@ gmail.com asks:

Question

Assalamualaikum Sheikh,
We need clarification concerning a matter of touching Quraan without wudhu, and a lady during menstruation,
According to Ahle sunnat wal jamaat what is the ruling concerning the above.

What if some sheikh who has done lots of research and converted to islam and then doing dawah, says that the mushaf may be touched or hold by all and sundry, no specification for believer or non believers, pure or impure whatsoever, the ayat which refers to it,i.e “ la yamussuhu illal mutahharoun” applies to the original Quraan which is in lawhe mahfooz.
The sheikh adds that if the matter was such that disbeleiver cant touch the mushaf then sadly he would have never been able to accept islam.
Jazakallah for the proper guidance

Answer

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullah,

Respected brother,

It is not permissible to touch the Holy Quraan without Wudhu. The same ruling will apply for a menstruating woman. Regarding the Quranic Ayah that you have quoted, Allamah Ibn Abideen (rahimahullah) mentions in Raddul Muhtaar (vol 1 pg 89) that the Majority of the Mufassireen are of the view that this ayah refers to the actual Quran and not the one in Lawhul Mahfooz.

Furthermore, there are many other Ahaahith that substantiate this point.

Kindly have a look at the following:

• It is mentioned in a written letter of Rasulullah, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, to Amr bin Hazm, Radi-Allahu anhu, who was the governor of Yemen at that time, “None should touch the Qur’an but a Taahir (pure).” Imam Malik (RA) has quoted this Hadith in his Muatta.

• Rasoulullah Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam has prohibited us from taking the Quraan to the territory of the Non Muslims for fear that they get hold of it,

‎كان ينهى أن يسافر بالقرآن إلى أرض العدو، مخافة أن يناله العدو
(مسلم)

• When Umar, Radi-Allahu anhu, wanted to touch the pages of the Qur’an at the house of his sister, she told him “Only the pure can touch the Qur’an”. Umar radiallahu anhu was forced to first purify himself before touching the pages of the Qur’an.

As far as the non muslims are concerned, they are not mukallaf (obliged to abide) to the laws of the Shariat. They can also have easy access to the subject matters of the Quraan through the internet, books or even translations of the Quraan.

Panel of Muftis
Jamiatul Ulama of Mauritius,