As a Woman Should I Stop Listening to a Reciter If I Derive Pleasure in It?

Answered by Shaykh Jamir Meah

Question: Assalamu alaykum

As a woman should I stop listening to a reciter of the Quran if I derive pleasure in his voice?

Answer: Wa’alaykum assalam, thank you for your question.

A man’s awrah does not include his voice, and therefore it is permissible for a woman to listen to a man recite Qur’an, even if she finds enjoyment in listening to his voice.

When listening to recitation of Quran, it is generally recommended to listen to someone with a pleasing voice, so long as it does not distract from the actual purpose of listening to the Qur’an and reflecting on the words of Allah Most High. As such, it is normal to enjoy and derive pleasure in listening to it.

However, if you mean by ‘deriving pleasure’ that the listener becomes infatuated with the reciter or has other such feelings, then one should stop listening to that particular reciter.

And Allah knows best.

Warmest salams,
[Shaykh] Jamir Meah

Shaykh Jamir Meah grew up in Hampstead, London. In 2007, he traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he spent nine years studying the Islamic sciences on a one-to-one basis under the foremost scholars of the Ribaat, Tarim, with a main specialization and focus on Shafi’i fiqh. In early 2016, he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continues advanced studies in a range of Islamic sciences, as well as teaching. Jamir is a qualified homeopath.