Is It Permissible to Sit on a Sofa with Biblical Verses on It?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

We have a sofa in our home that we didn’t realize had a couple of Bible verses printed all over the seating area and pillows. The verses are ‘the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak’ and ‘the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing’. Is it haram to sit on this in light of the fact that the Bible contains revealed truth?

Answer

I pray you are well.

It would not be appropriate to sit on such verses. Yes, we know that the text of the Bible has been changed, but there are traces of revelation remaining within it. That is why the Jurists have said one would require wudu to touch on the previous scriptures provided that the majority of them weren’t changed. (Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar)

Therefore, you should get some covers or throws to put on the sofa, or remove the verses if possible without damaging the sofa. That would be the best, most respectful course of action. And Allah knows best.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

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, where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital, and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.