Why Viewing Quran When Reciting Is Better Than Reciting By Heart? Can You View It In An Impure State?

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

   What do the scholars of Islam say about the following two matters:

   1.Can someone who is in the state of major ritual impurity (which necessitates ghusl) look at the Quran intending to earn reward?

   2.It is said that looking at the Quran whilst reciting it is better than reciting it by heart. Why is this? Will this be the case in every situation?

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

   A man or woman, who is in the state of major ritual impurity, can look at the Quran without touching it. If they intend to earn reward, they shall be rewarded. Looking at the Quran is described as the right of the eyes in Hadith. Let it be clear, one who needs ghusl, due to major ritual impurity, is not permitted to recite the Quran even from memory.

   Looking at the holy Quran is an act of worship. The Companion Sayyidunā Abū SaꜤīd رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ narrates that the final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said:

اعطوا أعينكم حظها من العبادة قيل : يا رسول اللہ  و ما حظها من العبادة قال : النظر في المصحف و التفكر فيه و الاعتبار عند عجائبه

   “Grant your eyes their share of worship.” It was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what is their share of worship?” He declared, “Looking at the Quran, reflecting upon it, and contemplating its wonders.”[1] 

   Regarding he who is in the state of major ritual impurity, it is stated in al-Durr al-Mukhtār:

ولا يكره النظر اليه ای القرآن لجنب وحائض ونفساء

   Regarding this, it is mentioned in Fatāwā Shāmī:

لانه لم يوجد فی النظر الا المحاذاة[2]

   Mufti Amjad ꜤAlī al-AꜤẓamī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه says:

   There is no harm if all of them (one without wuḍūˈ, one in need of ghusl, women during menses/lochia) look at the Quran, even if they view the words and understand them, but read in their mind.[3]

   2. Reading the Quran whilst looking upon it has been declared as better than reading from memory in various narrations. This is because the former involves looking at the Quran and touching it too, both being acts of worship. Commentators of hadith Have declared this excellence based on a general state in which there is no increase in inner humility, whether one is reading directly or from memory. 

   Otherwise, if reading from memory increases one’s humility then this will be better, for in worship the real standard is that of inner humility.

   It is reported in Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ with reference to ShuꜤab al-Īmān, that the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said:

قراءة الرجل القرآن فی غير المصحف الف درجةٍ وقراءته فی المصحف تضعف علی ذلك الى الفَی درجةٍ

   Reciting the Quran without the muṣḥaf is a thousand grades, and reading the Quran whilst looking at the muṣḥaf is increased upon that to two thousand degrees.[4]

   Imam Daylamī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه reports that the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said:

فضل قراءة القرآن نظرا على من يقرؤه ظاهرا كفضل الفريضة على النافلة

   The excellence of reciting the Quran whilst looking at it over the one who recites it from memory, is like the virtue of the obligatory action upon the voluntary.[5]

   ꜤAllāmah ꜤAbd al-Raˈūf al-Munāwī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه mentions below this narration:

فالقراءة نظرا في المصحف افضل لانها تجمع القراءة والنظر وهو عبادة اخرى نعم ان زاد خشوعه بها حفظا فينبغی كما فی المجموع تفضيله لان المدار على الخشوع ما امكن اذ هو روح العبادة وراسها[6]

   Regarding the narration found in Mishkāt, Allāmah ꜤAlī al-Qārī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه writes:

من هذا اخذ جمع بان القراءة نظراً فی المصحف افضل مطلقاً وقال آخرون: بل غيباً افضل مطلقاً ولعلّه عملا بفعله عليه الصلاة والسلام والحق التوسّط فان زاد خشوعه وتدبره واخلاصه فی احدهما فهو الافضل والا فالنظر لانه يحمل على التدبر والتامل فی المقروءة اكثر من القراءة بالغيب[7]

   Shaykh ꜤAbd al-Ḥaqq al-Diḥlawī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه writes:

قال النووی: لیس ھذا علی اطلاقہ بل ان کان القارئ من حفظہ یحصل لہ من التدبّر والتفکّر وجمع القلب والبصر اکثر مما یحصل لہ من المصحف فالقراءۃ من الحفظ افضل وان استویا فمن المصحف افضل وھذا مراد السلف[8]

   It is stated in Fatāwā Qāḍī Khān:

وقراءة القرآن فی المصحف اولى من القراءة عن ظهر القلب لما روى عبادة بن الصامت رضي اللہ تعالى عنه عن النبی صلى اللہ عليه وسلم انه قال: افضل عبادة امتی قراءة القرآن نظراً ولان فيه جمعاً بين العبادتين وهو النظر فی المصحف وقراءة القرآن[9]

   Muftī Amjad ꜤAlī al-AꜤẓamī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه says:

Reading the Quran by looking at it is better than reciting from memory, as it involves looking, reading, and touching it. These are all acts of worship.[10]

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Answered By: Mufti Abu Muhammad Ali Asghar Attari

Ref No: Nor-12210

Date: 29th Shawwāl al-Mukarram 1443 AH/31st May 2022