Can You Read Quran Online Without Wudu (Ablution)?

By Quran Schooling | 5 November 2020

Islam pays special attention to purity. Not only the spiritual but also the physical purity holds a special place in Islam. Tarahah or major purity is an obligation for every Muslim before doing any type of worship. No matter whether you are going to read the Quran, offer prayer (Salah), or perform any other religious duty, you must be in a pure state.

Though Islamic teachings are clear and you can get guidance in every matter of your life. Yet, some issues are ambiguous, and it’s not easy to find any clear instruction about these matters. The main reason for this ambiguity is that these issues pop up concerning the modern age.

One of these issues is whether do you need to have a wudu to read the Quran or not. A bunch of other questions are also associated with it. People don’t know whether you can read the Quran without wudu when you have memorized it. Can you read the Quran on your phone without wudu? Do you have to do wudu to read the Quran online? Can we touch the Quran without wudu? Let us get the answers to all these questions one after one.

Can I Touch The Quran Without Wudu?

First of all, let us field the question about touching the Quran without wudu. To get the answer to this question, we should first know what the Holy Quran tells us about touching it.

“Indeed, this is truly a noble Quran, In a Register well-protected; None touch it except the purified.” (56:77-79)

The majority of Muslim Scholars (Jamhoor) are of the same mind about touching the Holy Quran. They agree that you should do wudu (minor purity) before touching the Mushaf of the Quran.

Mushaf means the book of the Holy Quran in a physical form. Its literal meaning states that “Mushaf” refers to the “collection of pages.”

It means that you cannot touch the physical form of the Holy Quran with your bare hands when you are not in the state of wudu. You cannot even pick the Quran just to put it somewhere else. However, you can touch the Quran using clean cloth even when you are not in wudu.

Can I Read The Quran Without Wudu?

As we have mentioned earlier, you cannot touch the Holy Quran when you are not in the state of wudu. There is no question about reading it in this condition. You cannot read the Quran when you are reading from the book.

It is because you have to touch it, which is not permissible when you have not done a wudu. To the people who ask, “do you need to have wudu to read the Quran” yes, there is a need for proper wudu when you are reading from a book of the Quran.

Do I Need Wudu To Read The Quran On Phone or Laptop?

This is the point where real confusion starts. At the time of Quranic revelation, there was no such technology. Nor had someone ever imagined having mobile phones, tablets, or laptops. That is why there are no clear instructions on whether you can read the Quran without wudu on the phone/laptop or not.

During the reign of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W), people used to read the Holy Quran after doing wudu. As there was no concept of a virtual Quran, everyone read the Holy Quran only after performing ablution. That is why it is advisable to read the Holy Quran after doing wudu whether you are reading it from mobile, laptop, or any other device.

Despite that you are not physically touching the verses of the Quran, you are pronouncing them out of your mouth. Without wudu, your tongue isn’t perfectly pure. That’s why you should always do wudu before reading the Quran to bring yourself into a state of purity. After that, you can read and recite the Quran.

Can You Learn To Read Quran Online Without Wudu?

When you learn Quran online, the Quran tutor teaches you by sharing the screen of their systems. There is no need for any hard copy when learning the Quran online. However, that doesn’t mean you should read the Quran without wudu. You should be in a state of proper purity when reading the Sacred Book revealed by Allah Almighty. That is why, always perform ablution first, then start taking your online Quran class. You can know more about Quran learning in our learning Quran online guide.

Can You Recite The Quran Without Wudu When You Have Memorized It?

When you have memorized the Holy Quran, you don’t have to rely on the hard copy of the Quran. There is no need to touch the Quran to read or recite it. But that doesn’t mean you should read the Quran after memorizing it. As previously discussed, your tongue should also be in a state of purity. For that, you require ablution. That is why you should read the Quran only after performing an ablution whether you have memorized it or not.

Can You Read The Quran In The State of Major Impurity (Junub)?

No matter whether you want to read the Quran from a phone, tablet, or laptop, you cannot do it when you are in a state of Major Impurity. Junub, aka major impurity, is the state when you need a bath to perform any type of worship. Whether you want to read or recite the Quran, learn it using a soft copy or a hard copy, it is not permitted when you are in a state of major impurity. You can only read the Quran after doing ghusl (ritual bath).

Bottom Line

You shouldn’t read the Quran without wudu whether you are reading it from a hard copy, mobile, tablet, laptop, or even from your memory. Most scholars are of the opinion that you should prefer to do wudu before reading or reciting the Quran. It will give you an extra reward. Plus, it wudu saves you from the coronavirus and other health problems.

Reading Quran Online With Wudu