Reading the Qurʾān from Tablets and Smartphones

A translation of this fatwa from Naseem al-Sham

Question:

Dr Muḥammad Saʿīd Ramaḍān al-Būṭī, assalām ʿalaykum. Does one have to have wuḍūʾ in order to read the Qurʾān from an iPad or iPhone??? Or are these devices not considered a muṣḥaf such that one should be in a state of purity when reading the Qurʾān from them?????

Answer (Imam Muḥammad Saʿīd Ramaḍān al-Būṭī):

None of these devices is the same as the Qurʾān in terms of the ruling for carrying it, whether one is muḥdith[1] or junub.[2] In other words, there is nothing wrong with carrying them, whatever state one is in. It is permissible to read from them if one is muḥdith but not if one is junub.

Related:
For the Ḥanbalī position, please click here.

---

[1] (tn): i.e. one does not have wuḍūʾ
[2] (tn): i.e. one needs to perform ghusl

 

UPDATE: You can now subscribe to The Foreword on Telegram for updates regarding new blog posts and videos: https://t.me/TheForeword