Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Burhan,

I am not reading this "somewhere", or hearing it from "someone", it is wrtten in the quran itself that it shall only be touched by tahir people..."لايمسةالاالمطهرون " and you are saying that you are giving these qurans to non muslims daily, I know that you are doing it in good faith with the intention that they come into Islam Inshallah, but then again you are going against a clear ayah in the Quran, please be patient enough and explain this to me.

Thank You.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Quran cannot be touched by Non-Muslims.

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and who-ever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

We seek refuge in Allah, from going against any of the commandments of Allah Subhanah in the Holy Quran. Brother, Insha Allah, we will try and understand this commandment in context and in detail.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 56 Surah Al Waqiah verse 77-79: That this is indeed A Quran, most honorable. In a Book well guarded (the Law-al-Mahfoodh). Which none shall touch, but those who are ‘motatahhereen’ (clean and pure).

The above aayah of the Holy Quran is a refutation of the accusation that the disbelievers used to level against the Quran and indeed the Messenger of Allah (saws). They regarded the Prophet (saws) as a sorcerer and asserted that he was being inspired with the Quran by the jinns and shaitaan. An answer to it has been given at several places in the Quran. For eg.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 26 Surah Ash Shuaraa verse 210-212: This Book has not been brought down by shaitaan, nor does this work behove them, nor are they able to do it. They have indeed been kept out of its hearing.

The same theme has been expressed here, saying: None shall touch it but those who are pure, meaning, it is not brought down by shaitaans or jinns, nor being tampered with in any way, nor are the beings who are near the Book and touch it and bring it down to the heart of Mohamed (saws) untrustworthy; but rather they are pure, clean, trustworthy and ‘ameen’ angels, who are in close proximity of the Book in the heavens, and only these pure beings are allowed to even touch this Book. The word ‘motatahhereen’ has been used here for the angels in the sense that Allah has kept them free of every kind of impure feelings and desires.

The majority of the scholars have adopted this view, and the same also fits in with the context of the Surah. For the context itself shows that after refuting the false concepts of the Makkan disbelievers about Tawheed and the Hereafter, now their false accusations against the Holy Quran are being answered. And by swearing an oath, Allah confirms and declares that this Quran is indeed an exalted and honorable Book, which is inscribed in a well-guarded Divine Book (Al Law al Mahfoodh); in which there is absolutely no probability of any kind of interference by any unclean beings, and that it is revealed to the Prophet (saws) in a most secure manner, whereby only the pure and ‘tahir’ angels are to touch it.

Some worthy commentators of the Holy Quran, have taken this same verse and declared that only one who is clean and pure and has made ablution (wudoo) can touch the Quran. But the majority of the scholars are of the opinion that this interpretation, although possible, does not conform to the context of the verse. Independent of the context, one may take this meaning from its words, but if considered in the context in which the verse occurs, one does see any ground for saying, “None but the purified (humans) can touch this Book”. Simply because, the addressees here are the disbelievers of Makkah, and they are being told that this Book has been sent down by Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; therefore, their suspicion that the shaitaans and jinns inspire the Prophet (saws) is absolutely wrong! What could be the occasion here to enunciate the Shariah injunction that no human should touch this Book without purification? The most that one could say in this regard, is that although this verse has not been sent down to enjoin this command for humans, yet the context points out that just as only the purified can touch this Book in the heavens, so in the world also, the people who at least believe in its being the Divine Word, should avoid touching it in the impure and unclean state.

We believe that the Holy Quran are undoubtedly the very words of Allah Subhanah, and Allah Himself challenges in the Quran that if this Book was from any other than Allah Himself, there would be many discrepancies in it. The Quran has absolutely no discrepancies in it whatsoever!!! The disbelievers have tried very hard to find a discrepancy in the Quran, but Alhamdolillah, they have not been successful, simply because there is none! Thus if we take this verse and apply it to humans, “Which none shall touch, but those who are ‘motatahhereen’ (clean and pure)”, all a disbeliever has to do is touch the Quran and prove a discrepancy in the Quran, because Allah explicitly says, none shall touch it, but those who are pure! This is another argument, that in the context of the verse, this verse applies to the angels who are close to the Book in the heavens.

It is a duty upon every believer that he must propagate this Deen of Islam to all of mankind. And one of the best ways to propagate this deen, is to allow the ones who don’t believe to read and understand the words of Allah; perhaps they might be guided aright. The Glorious Quran has always been a marvelous tool to bring a person who does not believe into the fold of Islam and become our brother in this deen of Islam…. If we apply this verse to humans, then that would mean that no non-believer could ever touch the Holy Quran, and thus would not be able to find guidance from it. And Allah says several times in the Holy Quran, that this Message has been revealed for all of mankind! This again proves, that this verse, in the context of the Holy Quran, is aimed at the angels and not human beings.

The Messenger of Allah (saws), after the Treaty of Hudaibiyya, sent letters of invitation to Islam to many kings and emperors around Arabia. In the letter sent to the Roman Emperor of the times, Heraclius, the Messenger of Allah (saws) himself sent the Quranic aayah from

Surah Ale Imran verse 64: Say: "O people of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not from among ourselves Lords and patrons other than Allah." If then they turn back, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims (bowing to Allah's will)."

It is obvious that emperor Heraclius was a disbeliever, but the Prophet (saws) himself sent him this aayah of the Holy Quran in his invitation letter, which the disbelieving emperor and even the disbelievers in his court might have touched! It is inconceivable that the Messenger of Allah (saws) would ever go against any aayah of the Holy Quran! Thus this also proves, that the Messenger of Allah (saws) also understood this aayah that none can touch it, except the pure, was meant for the angels and was not a ‘shariah’ commandment for the human beings.

But all the scholars of Islam, are unanimous in stating, that a muslim who believes in Allah and the Last Day, should not touch the Quran unless he is pure. They say it becomes imperative for those who recognize and believe that these are the very words of Allah Subhanah, to honor the Book as it rightfully deserves. Allah declares that only the pure (angels) are allowed to touch it in the heavens, and for one who sincerely believes that these are the words of Allah Subhanah Himself, should also honor this Book just as it is honored in the heavens above us.

And Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

May Allah guide you and us to read and understand the simple and plain words of the Glorious Quran. May Allah increase our knowledge from the Holy Quran. May Allah guide us to the Siraat al Mustaqeem.

May Allah guide you and us all to the Siraat al-Mustaqeem

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan