Question & Inquiry:
Is it permissible to read the Holy Quran from a smartphone, tablet, or digital screen without having Wudu (ritual ablution)?
Yes, reading from a smartphone or tablet screen without Wudu is permissible because the digital screen is not classified as a physical Mus'haf. However, having Wudu is superior and more meritorious.
Detailed Answer & Evidence:
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
Regarding reciting from digital mobile screens without Wudu:
Contemporary fiqh councils (including the Islamic Fiqh Academy and Al-Azhar Fatwa Center) have clarified that smartphones, laptops, and tablets are electronic devices displaying digital pixels, not physical printed codices (Mus'haf). Therefore, the prohibition mentioned in Surah Al-Waqi'ah (56:79) and the Prophetic letter to Amr ibn Hazm ("None touches the Quran except the purified") specifically applies to direct contact with the paper pages and binding of a physical Mus'haf.
Consequently:
- Reciting and scrolling through Quran applications without Wudu is completely valid and permissible for men and women.
- Reciting with full Taharah (Wudu) remains recommended (Mustahabb) out of veneration for the Word of Allah.
- For individuals in a state of minor impurity (Hadath Asghar), it is completely permissible. However, reciting for someone in major ritual impurity (Janabah) is not permitted until Ghusl is performed.
Classical Jurisprudence References:
Majma' al-Fiqh al-Islami Resolution; Al-Azhar Global Fatwa Center; Ibn Qudamah in Al-Mughni (1/108).
Sheikh Dr. Tariq Al-Mansoor
PhD in Quranic Sciences & Ijazah in Ten Qira'at (Al-Azhar University)