How Do I Repent From Reciting Quran in the State of Major Ritual Impurity?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

I know that we shouldn’t read the Quran while in janaba but I was too shy to tell my cousin I was in janaba when she ask me to read for her. So I read Quran while in Janaba.

What should I do?

Answer

I pray you are well.

I’m not aware of a specific punishment reserved for reciting the Quran whilst in janaba. It is, however, considered to be a minor sin – one which is effaced by other good deeds, such as prayer, fasting, and the blessings on the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace. The best thing to do is turn to Allah and ask him sincerely to forgive you and to protect you from falling into it again.

Reciting the Qurʾan With the Intention of Dhikr

The Fuqaha do, however, mention that one could recite the Qurʾan with the intention of dhikr or duʿa (for verses which have the meaning of duʿa – such as the closing verse of Sura al Baqara). One would need to maintain the intention throughout. So reciting something like Imam al Shadhili’s Hizb al Bahr, or the collection of verses commonly know as ‘al Manzil’ in the Subcontinent, with the intention of dhikr is perfectly permissible. [Ibn ʿAbidin, Radd al Muhtar]

I hope that helps. May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 to study and sit at the feet of some of the most erudite scholars of our time.

Over the following eighteen months he studied a traditional curriculum, studying with scholars such as Shaykh Adnan Darwish, Shaykh Abdurrahman Arjan, Shaykh Hussain Darwish and Shaykh Muhammad Darwish.

In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years, in Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Theology, Hadith Methodology and Commentary, Shama’il, and Logic with teachers such as Dr Ashraf Muneeb, Dr Salah Abu’l-Hajj, Dr Hamza al-Bakri, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, Dr Mansur Abu Zina amongst others. He was also given two licences of mastery in the science of Qur’anic recital by Shakh Samir Jabr and Shaykh Yahya Qandil.

His true passion, however, arose in the presence of Shaykh Ali Hani, considered by many to be one of the foremost tafsir scholars of our time who provided him with the keys to the vast knowledge of the Quran. With Shaykh Ali, he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Qur’anic Sciences, Tafsir, Arabic Grammar, and Rhetoric.

When he finally left Jordan for the UK in 2014, Shaykh Ali gave him his distinct blessing and still recommends students in the UK to seek out Shaykh Abdul-Rahim for Quranic studies. Since his return he has trained as a therapist and has helped a number of people overcome emotional and psychosomatic issues. He is a keen promoter of emotional and mental health.