Can I Carry the Quran in My Pocket?
Shafi'i Fiqh
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
May I carry a translation-only Quran in my trouser pocket? Does the same rule apply to an Arabic Quran?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
May Allah alleviate our difficulties and guide us to what pleases Him. Amin.
Carrying a translation-only Quran in your pocket is technically permissible but not recommended, unlike the Arabic Quran, which one should not carry in one’s trouser pocket as this is irreverent to the Book of Allah, and Allah knows best.
Carrying a Translation of Quran
Carrying a translation-only Quran in your trouser pocket is generally viewed differently from carrying a Quran in Arabic. Since it does not contain the original Arabic text, a translation of the Quran is not considered the Quran itself. Therefore, the strict rules about handling the Quran, such as the requirement for purification before touching it, do not apply to a translation-only Quran.
You may carry it and touch it without needing to be in a state of wudu (ablution). While you could technically carry it in your trouser pocket (as it is not considered Quran), it would be best not to do so, and Allah knows best.
Carrying the Mushaf in One’s Pocket
As for the mushaf (written Arabic Quran), the rulings are more stringent due to the sanctity of the Arabic text, which is considered the actual words of Allah. It would be inappropriate and disrespectful to carry the mushaf in one’s trouser pocket close to one’s private region. [Nawawi, Minhaj al-Talibin]
Translations with Arabic Text
The Shafi’i School holds that books containing Quranic text alongside other texts are permissible to carry (without ablution), provided that most of the text is not Quranic. This implies a degree of flexibility when the text includes a significant amount of non-Quranic content, like translations or tafsir, making it less strict than the rules for handling a mushaf (a copy of the Quran). Still, one should avoid carrying this type of translation in one’s trouser pocket, and Allah knows best.
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I pray this is of benefit and that Allah guides us all.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
