ARABIC حكم مس القرآن من غير وضوء

The ruling on touching the Qur'an without ablution (wudu)

Abstract

This article examines the Islamic legal ruling on touching the Qur’an without ablution (wuḍūʾ) through a comprehensive study of Qur’ānic evidence, Prophetic traditions, and the positions of classical scholars. It begins by clarifying the linguistic and exegetical debate around the verse “لَا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ” (al-Wāqiʿah 79), exploring whether it refers to the preserved tablet and angels or to the physical muṣḥaf and ritual purity of humans. The discussion surveys key interpretations from early authorities such as Ibn ʿAbbās, Ibn Masʿūd, Saʿīd ibn Zayd, and later exegetes like al-Ṭabarī, al-Zamakhsharī, and al-Ālūsī. The study also compiles and analyzes authentic ḥadīth evidence, particularly the Prophetic directive in the letter to ʿAmr ibn Ḥazm — “لا يمس القرآن إلا طاهر” — along with reports from Companions like ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb and Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ, showing their practical application of this ruling. Juristic positions are presented across the four Sunni schools (Ḥanafī, Mālikī, Shāfiʿī, Ḥanbalī), as well as views of major scholars including Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim, highlighting the strong consensus that ritual purity is a prerequisite for touching the muṣḥaf. The article concludes that, while a minority interprets the verse as descriptive rather than prescriptive, the weight of textual proofs and scholarly agreement affirms that it is impermissible to touch the Qur’an without ablution, aligning outward physical purity with the inner reverence owed to God’s Word.