Knowledge & Devotion · Virtues of the Quran

Etiquette and Rulings for Quranic Recitation

Understanding rules for reciting, listening to, and using the Quran in various contexts.

8 questions · Hard · about 4 minutes

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1. If someone hears a verse of sujud al-tilawah from a recording, is he required to prostrate?

  • No, prostration is not required when hearing it from a recording. (correct answer)
  • Yes, it is obligatory every time.
  • Yes, but only if the recording is live-streamed.
  • No, because sujud al-tilawah is never prescribed.

Why

Sujud al-tilawah is prescribed and recommended for the reader and listener when appropriate, but it is not obligatory. If a person hears a verse of prostration from a computer, recorder, or similar device, the source says it is not required to prostrate. This is likened to hearing an echo from a far-off place. The listener should not prostrate unless the actual reciter prostrates.

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2. How many places in the Quran are there for sujud al-tilawah?

  • Fifteen. (correct answer)
  • Seven.
  • Ten.
  • Twenty-two.

Why

There are fifteen places in the Quran where sujud al-tilawah is performed when reciting them. The source lists the verses, including places in al-A‘raf, ar-Ra‘d, an-Nahl, al-Isra’, Maryam, al-Hajj, al-Furqan, an-Naml, as-Sajdah, Sad, Fussilat, an-Najm, al-Inshiqaq, and al-‘Alaq. Although there is discussion about some reports and details, the conclusion given is that sujud al-tilawah should be performed at the fifteen listed places.

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3. What is the ruling on writing Quranic verses for ruqyah on pure dissolvable paper?

  • It is permissible if the writing substance is pure and causes no harm. (correct answer)
  • It is forbidden because ruqyah cannot involve written verses.
  • It is required to be printed by machine only.
  • It is valid only if the paper is not dissolved.

Why

Seeking healing through the Quran and Prophetic du‘as is prescribed. The source mentions reports from some of the early generations about writing Quranic verses, washing them with water, and giving that water to the sick person to drink. Based on that, writing verses on dissolvable paper with pure substances such as saffron is permissible, whether written by hand or printed, so long as it causes no harm and the substance actually dissolves.

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4. What may a menstruating woman do regarding Quran recitation according to the more correct scholarly view cited?

  • Recite from memory, and read from the Mushaf if needed while using a barrier. (correct answer)
  • She may never recite Quran under any circumstance.
  • She may touch the Mushaf directly without a barrier.
  • She may recite only if she is leading prayer.

Why

The more correct scholarly view cited is that a menstruating woman may recite Quran, especially if she needs to do so to avoid forgetting, to study, or to perform ruqyah. She should not touch the Mushaf directly, because touching it requires purity. If she needs to read from the Mushaf, she may use a barrier such as a clean cloth, handkerchief, or gloves. She may also perform ruqyah for herself using Quran, du‘as, and dhikr prescribed in Islam.

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5. What is the ruling on claiming that specific surahs make a baby beautiful, intelligent, or make birth easy?

  • Such specific claims are not proven by religious texts. (correct answer)
  • Soorat Maryam and Soorat Yoosuf are proven to guarantee those effects.
  • These claims are obligatory beliefs for pregnant women.
  • Reciting Quran during pregnancy is forbidden.

Why

No religious text proves that reciting specific surahs during pregnancy will affect a child’s beauty, intelligence, or ease of birth. Making such claims without evidence is speaking about Allah without knowledge. The entire Quran brings goodness, blessing, and reward, and there is nothing wrong with a pregnant woman reciting or listening to Quran in general, hoping for blessing and benefit, but without specifying an unproven effect.

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6. Why may reciting Quran while bathing a child be less ideal even when it is permissible?

  • It may distract from reciting with focus, deliberation, and pondering. (correct answer)
  • It makes the bath water impure.
  • It is always forbidden in every bathing place.
  • It is disrespectful to the child.

Why

Reciting Quran while bathing a child is permissible if the place is not a bathroom used for relieving oneself. If the bath is in a place where there is a toilet, then reciting Quran there is not permissible because the Quran must be respected. Even where it is permissible, it is better not to recite in that situation if one is distracted, because the purpose of recitation includes focusing, pondering the meaning, and benefiting from the Quran.

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7. What is the ruling on reciting Quran while bathing a child if the bathroom has a toilet?

  • It is haram, because the Quran should be respected and honoured. (correct answer)
  • It is permissible in all bathrooms.
  • It depends only on the child’s age.
  • It is obligatory if the child is crying.

Why

Reciting Quran while bathing a child is permissible if the bath is in a place where one does not relieve oneself. But if the child is being washed in a bathroom where there is a toilet, then reciting Quran there is haram, whether quietly or loudly, because the Quran is the word of Allah and must be respected. Even in a permissible place, it may be better not to recite if the situation distracts from pondering the meaning.

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8. What is the ruling on listening to Quran while using the toilet if the recorder is outside the bathroom?

  • There is no sin in listening, because the person is not reciting or mentioning Allah inside the toilet. (correct answer)
  • It is obligatory to listen while in the bathroom.
  • It is haram in every case, even if the recorder is outside.
  • It depends only on whether the listener understands Arabic.

Why

Reciting Quran or mentioning Allah inside toilets is disliked or prohibited because these are places where Allah’s name should be respected and not mentioned. Listening is different if the Quran is being played from a recorder outside the bathroom. In that case, the listener is not himself reciting or mentioning Allah inside the toilet, so there is no sin in listening.

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A note on these answers

These questions are for learning and self-testing. Explanations are drawn from the sources linked on each question and are not a fatwa. For a ruling on your own circumstances, please consult a qualified scholar.

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