لَّا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُ‌ونَ (that is not touched except by the purified ones ...56:79). Two issues require clarification here. The commentators have different views about them, because the structure of verse 78 and 79 has two possibilities grammatically: The first possibility is that the phrase 'that is not touched except by the purified ones' is the qualification of the Preserved Tablet referred to in the previous verse. In this case, 'the purified ones' can refer only to angels, and the phrase 'not touched' cannot be taken in its literal sense of physical touch; it would rather mean 'being aware of. The sense of the verse would be that no one is aware of the Preserved Tablet and its contents except the purified angels. (Qurtubi) This interpretation is adopted in Bayan-ul-Qur'an as well. The second possibility is that the phrase 'that is not touched except by the purified ones' is taken as a qualification of the Qur'an referred to in the previous verse. In this case the word Qur'an would refer to the scrolls or scripts in which it is written, and 'not touched, will remain in its literal sense of referring to physical touch by hand etc. The sense would be that the Script of the Qur'an is not touched by anyone except by the purified angels who bring revelation to the Prophet ﷺ . Since this interpretation does not need to take the word 'touch' in its figurative sense, Qurtubi and some other commentators have preferred this interpretation. Imam Malik (رح) says, 'The best interpretation of verse [ 77 and 78] I have ever heard is what is mentioned in Surah عَبَسَ 'Abas (80) verses [ 13-16[: فِي صُحُفٍ مُّكَرَّ‌مَةٍ مَّرْ‌فُوعَةٍ مُّطَهَّرَ‌ةٍ بِأَيْدِي سَفَرَ‌ةٍ كِرَ‌امٍ بَرَ‌رَ‌ةٍ (It is [ recorded ] in those scripts [ of the Preserved Tablet ] that are honoured, exalted, purified, in the hands of those scribes who are honourable, righteous.)

The second issue that requires consideration in this verse is what is meant by the phrase 'the purified ones'. A large group of the Companions, their followers and leading authorities on Qur'anic commentary think that the referent of 'the pure ones' are the angels who are purified of the dross and adulteration of sins, and who are innocent. This is the view of Sayyidna Anas ؓ ، Said Ibn Jubair ؓ and of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ . Imam Malik رحمۃ اللہ علیہ has also adopted this view.

Some of the commentators think that Qur'an refers to the copy of the Holy Book that is in our hands, and the referent of the word 'mutahharun' ('purified ones) are people free from minor impurity and major impurity. Minor impurity means to be without wudu' and minor impurity can be cleansed by making wudu' or tayammum [ cleaning with dust ]. Major impurity refers to the state of impurity which is caused by sexual intercourse, lustful discharge of semen during sleep, and menstrual and postpartum discharges. Ghusl (having bath) is the only means of achieving purity from this state. This interpretation is placed on the text by ` Ata', Taus, Salim and Muhammad Baqir رحمۃ اللہ علیہم . In this case, although verse "that is not touched except by the purified ones...56:79) is a declarative sentence, it is in fact used in the sense of prohibiting human beings to touch the Qur'an without being free from the minor and major impurities: The person who wishes to touch the Qur'an needs to be purified of the visible as well as the invisible impurities by taking wudu', tayammum or ghusl, as required. Qurtubi and Mazhari prefer this interpretation.

In the incident of Sayyidna ` Umar's ؓ embracing Islam, we come across the part of the story where he asked his sister to give him the pages of the Qur'an, she recited verse [ 79] of this Surah, refused to give him the pages and said 'only the pure ones can touch it'. As a result, he was forced to take a bath, and then recite the contents of the pages. This incident also lends support to the last interpretation. The versions of the Tradition that prohibit the impure people from touching the Qur'an are put forward by some authorities too are in favour of the last interpretation.

However, since Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas, Areas ؓ and others have a different view about the interpretation of this verse, as mentioned above, many scholars did not base the prohibition of touching the Qur'an without ablution on verse [ 79]. Rather, the prohibition is established by the following Traditions:

Imam Malik (رح) cites, as evidence, the Holy Prophet's ﷺ ` letter in his Muwatta' which he wrote to 'Amr Ibn Hazm. It contains the following statement: لَا یَمَسُّ القُرآنَ اِلَّا طَاھِرُ "Only a clean one may touch the Qur'an". Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani gives the following references: Musnad of ` Abdurrazzaq, Ibn Abi Dawud and Ibn-ul-Mundhir, Tabarani and Ibn Marduyah record a Tradition on the authority of ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar ؓ that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: لَا یَمَسُّ القُرآنَ اِلَّا طَاھِرُ (Only a clean one may touch the Qur'an.)

Some Rulings about touching the Holy Qur’ an

(1) On the basis of the foregoing Prophetic Ahadith, the overwhelming majority of the 'Ummah and the four major schools concur that 'purity' is a condition for the permissibility of touching the Holy Qur'an and it is not allowed to touch it in a state of impurity. It means that before touching the Holy Qur'an, one must make sure that no najasah (i.e. things declared by Shari'ah as filth) is attached to one's hand, and that he or she is in the state of wudu' and is not in the state of Janabah (the state in which it is obligatory to take bath.), The divergence of interpretation referred to earlier is only in connection with whether or not verse [ 79] can be the basis of such a prohibition. Some jurists think that the verse as well as the relevant Traditions bear the same sense, hence they use them as supportive of each other in evidence of their ruling. Others, on account of divergence of interpretation among the Companions, exercised precaution in using the Qur'anic text as evidence in support of their ruling. But because of the Traditions, they ruled that touching the Qur'an without ablutions is impermissible. In sum, there are no differences in their rulings. The differences are only in supportive evidence of these rulings.

(2) If the Qur'an is in a cover which is sewn or permanently attached to it in some way, it is not permitted - according to the four major schools - for an unclean person to touch it without ablutions. If however the Qur'an is covered in something that is not permanently attached to it, an unclean person may, according to Imam Abu Hanifah (رح) ، touch it without ablutions. However, according to Imams Malik and Shafi` i, an unclean person is not permitted to touch it before taking ablutions. [ Mazhari ]

(3) If a person is wearing a garment, it is not lawful for him to touch the Qur'an with his sleeves or skirt if he is unclean. However, he may touch it with a handkerchief or-a sheet. [ Mazhari ]

(4) Scholars have ruled it which is proved by this very verse with grater force that a person in the state of janabah (sexual defilement) and a woman in the state of menstruation or postpartum bleeding cannot recite it, even from memory until bath has been taken, because if it is obligatory to honour the written letters of the Holy Qur'an by touching them only in the state of purity, its spoken words deserve the same honour with greater importance. The requirement of this honour should have been that even in the state of minor impurity a person should not be allowed to recite the Holy Qur'an. But Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas and ` Ali ؓ report that the Holy Prophet ﷺ recited the Qur'an without wudu'. On this basis, the jurists have ruled that it is permissible to recite it without wudu'. (But in the case of major impurity the rule will remain intact). [ Mazhari ]