Giving Quran to non-Muslim

27-7-2003 | IslamWeb

Question:

I am staying in China and I have Holy Qur'an in both Arabic and Chinese languages. Some non-Muslim Chinese want to know something about Islam and especially to read the Qur'an. Can I give them the Qur'an to read?
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

 

It is not permitted for a non-Muslim to touch the Mus-haf (the Arabic text of the Quran) and he should not be allowed to do so even with the purpose of reading it in order to embrace Islam.  Al-Baaji may Allaah have mercy upon him from the Maaliki school of jurisprudence, said: “If a non-Muslim wants a Mus-haf to be sent to him so that he would ponder over its meanings, it should not be sent to him because he is impure and in a state of sexual defilement and it is not permissible for him to touch it and it is not permissible for anyone to give it to him.”

As regards the translation of the meanings of the Quran, it is permissible to give it to a non-Muslim because the ruling of the Quran does not apply to it; rather, it takes the ruling of the interpretation of the Quran.  Therefore, it is permissible for a non-Muslim and a person in a state of sexual defilement to touch it because it is not a Quran.  Furthermore, it is permissible for a Muslim to give it [the translation] to him [non-Muslim] especially if it is for the purpose of calling him to Islam.  

Allaah Knows best.

www.islamweb.net