Question:
After many years of searching, finally found an Ahlus-sunnah wal jamaah jamaat with Hifzh programs. They are helping me and my children memorize the Quran Alhamdulillah. InshaAllah I pray and hope that we are in this city long enough to be able to memorize. In the hope of expediting the memorization can we continue to memorize, recite audibly and hold the mushaf (with a cloth or turn pages with a pencil during the time of the month?
We are Shafii. I found the Hanafi and Maliki positions on seekersguidance but not the Shafii. We are the only women in the program.
Thank you.
Answer:
May Allah support you and your children in your excellent intention. There is no better knowledge.
The Shafii position on the issue you raised is spelled out by Imam al-Nawawi in his book al-Tibyan fi Aadaab Hamalat al-Qur’an, translated as Etiquette with the Qur’an, in which he states, as translated by Musa Furber (emphasis mine):
إذا تصفح المحدث أو الجنب أو الحائض أوراق المصحف بعود أو شبهه ففي جوازه
وجهان لأصحابنا: 1 – أظهرهما جوازه وبه قطع العراقيون من أصحابنا لأنه غير
ماس ولا حامل 2 – والثاني تحريمه لأنه عد حاملا للورقة والورقة كالجميع
وأما إذا لف كمه على يده وقلب الورقة فحرام بلا خلاف وغلط بعض أصحابنا فحكى
فيه وجهين والصواب القطع بالتحريم لأن القلب يقع باليد لا بالكم كتب المحدث
له
Our Shafi`i companions have two opinions regarding someone in the state of minor or major ritual impurity or menstruation touching the pages of the mushaf with a stick or something resembling it. THE MOST OBVIOUS [or rather: THE PREDOMINANT] OPINION IS THAT IT IS PERMISSIBLE, and our `Iraqi companions were certain of it, since this does not constitute actual touching nor carrying. The second opinion is that it is unlawful, since it is considered holding one of the pages, and the page is like the entirety. As for if he wraps his sleeve over his hand and turns the pages: it is unlawful without any disagreement. Some of our Shafi`i companions were mistaken by conveying two opinions regarding it. The correct opinion is unequivocal about its unlawfulness, since turning pages takes place by the hand, not the sleeve.
Hajj Gibril Haddad
