['Aalim Network QR] Touching the Holy Qur'an

[abbas@dircon.co.uk (Abbas Jaffer)]

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|       In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful       |\
|  Greeting of Allah be upon Muhammad and the pure members of his House |\
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Salamun Alaykum,

The question below was kindly answered by Sayyed Mohammad Soleiman-Panah.

Regards

Abbas Jaffer
Moderator - ABDG-A.

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Question:

This verse...

None shall touch it except the purified. (56:79) 

has been used by some people to justify the necessity of having wudu
before picking up and reading the Qur'an in Arabic. I'm not saying that's
right or wrong, I'm just relating what I have been told before.

My gut feeling is that it makes more sense that the verse above does in
fact refer to the hidden book, as stated in the previous article. But if
we take that to be true, then why have I been told to make wudu before
"touching"  the Qur'anic words? If that injunction is not from the Qur'an
then is it from a hadith?

In other words: If the verse is actually referring to the hidden book, and
not the actual book-with-pages-and-a-cover, then where does the notion
come from that we are supposed to have wudu before reading it? 

..................................................................

Answer:
 
Besmehi Ta'ala

Here are some points which to some degree may clarify the issue raised in
the above question:

1-  There are rulings that Wudu is also wajib for touching the name of God
written in any language and Ihtiyat Wajib for touching names of the holy
Prophet (S), 12 Imams (AS) and Hz. Fatemeh (AS). This shows that there must
be other reasons for fuqaha to extend the scope of what is mentioned in the
concerned verse (56:79). I am not competent in figh to elaborate on those
reasons drived from Hadith, but as many of Mufaserin have 
understood  the verse which says "None shall touch it except the purified"
(56:79) is enough to infer that one has to have purified body to touch the
body of God's words.

2- As you say the verses before 56:79 refer to Quran being in Kitab
Maknon.  The relation of Quran-e Nazel to that Quran in the Kitab Maknon
is said to be the relation haqiqat" (truth, origin) to "raqiqat" (image).
The law applies to the treatment of the two. Touching its "haqiqat" is not
possible except for those who have purified souls and touching of its
"raqiqat" is not possible except for those who have a "purified body". 

3- Please be also advised that wudu is a symbolic act of purification at
the level of the body, intending to signify willingness to purify the soul
in Ibadat. For we know that when one cannot have wudu it must be
substituted by Tayammum with soil when wudu is required. If one could
argue that wudu with water is a matter of hygiene of the body, this cannot
be said about Tayammum, therefore we can conclude that the primary purpose
of wudu and other acts of bodily purification in Islam is purification of
the soul and there is a relationship between the two. One must start at
the level of Zaher (appearance) and move towards Baten (within). Having
said that there is a relationship both between the two levels of the Holy
Quran and between one's body and one's soul, we may be able to see that it
is a reasonable inference to require wudu for touching of the words of
Quran from a verse which requires purity of the soul for touching the true
meaning of Quran. This is reasonable if we accept the above assumption and
the assumption that in Islam, the act of purifying the body signifies the
first step towards purification of the soul. 

4- Since we are discussing this verse (56:79) let me mention that some
believe the best people who are qualified as the "Mutaharun"  of this
verse are Ahlul Bayt (AS). For Allah (SWT) describes them in the following
manner "God seeks to remove uncleanliness from you and purify you, Ahlul
Bayt" (33:33). 
	
With regards 
Mohammad