Is It Permissible to Read the Qur’an on a Screen Without Wudu?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalam alaykum

Is it permissible to read the Qur’an on my Smartphone screen without wudu?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

It is permissible to recite the Qur’an from memory without being in a state of ritual ablution (wudu). But it remains recommended to perform the ritual ablution beforehand as it entails greater veneration (ta‘dhim) and respect.

Similarly, it is also permissible to recite the Qur’an from a screen whilst holding the device, even if you are not in a state of ritual purity. This is because the ruling of the mushaf only applies to the actual book.

Note that it is impermissible to recite the Qur’an whilst in a state of major ritual impurity (janaba) as the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) forbade us from doing so. [Tirmidhi, and elsewhere]

[Birgivi, Dhukhr al-Muta’ahhilin (287); Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar ‘ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar]

Please also see: Qur’an Application on an iPhone: Can I Touch My iPhone Without Ablution?

And Allah Most High alone knows best.

wassalam,
[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Tabraze Azam holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Leicester, where he also served as the President of the Islamic Society. He memorised the entire Qur’an in his hometown of Ipswich at the tender age of sixteen, and has since studied the Islamic Sciences in traditional settings in the UK, Jordan and Turkey. He is currently pursuing advanced studies in Jordan, where he is presently based with his family.