Ijma’ of the Scholars on not Touching the Quran without Wudhu
In explaining the verse of Holy Quran surah Al Waqi’ah 56:79: “La yamas-sahu il-lal mutah-haroon” and citing the different opinions of Sahaba, Mufti-e-Azam Pakistan Hazrat Moulana Mohammed Shafi’ saheb rehmatullah alehey writes in “Ma’ariful Quran” (urdu edition) Volume 8 page 286-288:
“Regarding the rule disallowing the touching of Quran without wudhu many of the scholars have abandoned using this verse for its justification and have used ahadith only (Roohul Ma’ani). And these ahadith are:
In his Muwatta Imam Malik rehmatullah alehey has transcribed a letter Prophet sallallaho alehey wasalam wrote to Hazrat Umro bin Hazem radhiAllaho anhu, in it is also a sentence, la yamassul qurana ila tahirun meaning that Quran should not be touched by a person who is not tahir (in ritual cleanliness) (IbneKhatir rehmatullah alehey). And in Roohul Ma’ani this report has been mentioned on authority of Musnad Abdur Razzaq, Ibne Abi Dawood and Ibnul Munzar. Moreover, Tabrani and Ibne Mardawiya have reported by Hazrat Abdullah ibne Umar radhiAllaho anhu that Prophet sallallaho alehey wasalam said; la yamassul qurana ila tahirun meaning that Quran should not be handled except by a person who is in the state of in ritual cleanliness (Roohul Ma’ani).
Mas’ala/Rule:
Based on the reports mentioned the consensus of the majority/ jamhoor
of Ummah and of the four Imams is that to handle Quran, taharat (state
of ritual cleanliness) is necessary and to act contrarily is a sin. This
includes hands being clean from external impurities, being in the state
of wudhu and not being in the state of janabat (requiring ghusul). Hazrat
Ali Murtaza radhiAllaho anhu, Ibne Ma’sood radhiAllaho anhu, Sa’ad
bin Abi Waqqas radhiAllaho anhu, Saeed ibne Zayd radhiAllaho anhu, A ’tta
rehmatullah alehey and Zahiri rehmatullah alehey, Nakha’yi rehmatullah
alehey, Hakkam rehmatullah alehey, Hammad rehmatullah alehey, Imam Malik
rehmatullah alehey, Imam Shafa’i rehmatullah alehey, Imam Abu Hanifa rehmatullah
alehey , are all of the same opinion.
And the quote of differences of opinion mentioned earlier were only in
the regards that if this regulation which is substantiated by the mentioned
ahadith and agreed upon by the whole Ummah can it also be proved or not
on the basis of this ayah (Surah Waqi’ah 56:79 la yamasaho il-lal mutah-haroon).
Some of the scholars have considered that the meaning of the verse and
ahadith is the same. And they have authenticated this regulation by the
combination of this verse and hadith. Other scholars have been cautious
in using this verse as a proof of their justification because of the difference
of opinion of Sahaba in this regards, but based on the ahadith mentioned
all of them have selected the opinion that without wudhu and taharat it
is impermissible to handle Quran. Therefore the difference of opinion is
not in the regulation itself but on the reasons of justification.
Mas’ala/Rule:
The outer covering of the Quran which is attached/sewed to the binding
of the volume is also under the rules/regulation of Quran. It is therefore
impermissible touch it without taharat and wudhu, in accordance to the
four Imams. However, the juzdan (enwrapment/pouch) of Quran which is made
of a separate cloth (material) and if the Quran is wrapped in it, then
to touch the Quran with this juzdan without wudhu is permissible according
to Imam Abu Hanifa rehmatullah alehey, but according to Imams Malik and
Shafai this is also impermissible. (Mazhari)
Mas’ala/Rule:
It is impermissible to touch the Quran with the sleeves or a portion
of the clothes a person is wearing. However, it is permissible to touch
it using a separate handkerchief or mantle. (Mazhari)
Mas’ala/Rule:
Scholars have said that this verse is of paramount justification that
recitation of Quran in the state of janabat (major impurity requiring ghusul)
or menstruration and post-natal bleeding is impermissible, until one takes
a bath/ghusul. This is because if the respect of alphabets and characters
written in the mushaf is such (that they can not be handled without taharat)
then the respect of actual words that are pronounced from the tongue should
be even more important and necessary. This should demand that a person
without wudhu should not even recite Quran. But in the hadith of
Hazrat Abbas radhiAllaho anhu reported in Bukhari and Muslim and Hazrat
Ali radhiAllaho anhu’s hadith in Masnad Ahmed, recitation of Quran without
wudhu by Prophet sallallaho alehey wasalam is established. Therefore the
fuqaha/scholars have allowed the recitation of Quran without wudhu. (Tafseer-e-Mazhari)"