Can You Listen to the Quran Without Wudu? Find Out Here!

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Hi all readers! Are you looking for an explanation of “Is it okay to listen to the Quran without wudu?”? If your answer is “Yes,” congratulations! You are reading the right article. Why? Because that is what I will explain in this article. As Muslims, we need to understand this. That's why I wrote this article. So, you should read it to the end!

Specifically, there are some important points about “Is it okay to listen to the Quran without wudu?” that I will explain in this article. These important points are as follows:

When Do We Have to Do Wudu?

The important aspect of “Is it okay to listen to the Quran without wudu?” that I will explain now is "When do we have to do wudu?" I want you to understand this first before you read further explanations in this article because these are the basic questions on this topic that should be well understood.

Wudu is one of the practices in Islam that is very significant for Muslims. There is extensive discussion about wudu in Islamic legal literature. It all emphasizes that wudu is one of the most important practices.

The main reason why wudu is so important is that it is one of the ways to remove minor impurity (الحَدَثُ الأَصْغَرُ). Wudu is the primary method for this. If Muslims cannot perform wudu to remove minor impurity, they must perform Tayammum.

Minor impurity (الحَدَثُ الأَصْغَرُ) is one of the conditions that prevent Muslims from performing certain acts of worship in Islam that require them to be in a state of purity, such as touching the Quran, performing Tawaf, and praying. The other condition is major impurity (الحَدَثُ الأَكْبَرُ). Minor impurity can be removed by wudu and Tayammum, while major impurity can only be removed with ghusl Janabah.

We are prohibited from praying (salat) if we do not have wudu. We can find this explanation in the following verse of the Quran:

يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اِذَا قُمْتُمْ اِلَى الصَّلٰوةِ فَاغْسِلُوْا وُجُوْهَكُمْ وَاَيْدِيَكُمْ اِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوْا بِرُءُوْسِكُمْ وَاَرْجُلَكُمْ اِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِۗ وَاِنْ كُنْتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُوْاۗ وَاِنْ كُنْتُمْ مَّرْضٰٓى اَوْ عَلٰى سَفَرٍ اَوْ جَاۤءَ اَحَدٌ مِّنْكُمْ مِّنَ الْغَاۤىِٕطِ اَوْ لٰمَسْتُمُ النِّسَاۤءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوْا مَاۤءً فَتَيَمَّمُوْا صَعِيْدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوْا بِوُجُوْهِكُمْ وَاَيْدِيْكُمْ مِّنْهُ ۗمَا يُرِيْدُ اللّٰهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَّلٰكِنْ يُّرِيْدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهٗ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُوْنَ

O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows, and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey, or one of you comes from relieving himself, or you have contacted women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful. (Al-Maidah [5]: 6).

We can also find the explanation in the following hadith:

وَعَنْ عَبَّادِ بْنِ تَمِيمٍ ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ ، أَنَّهُ شَكَا إِلَى رَسُوْلِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ يَجِدُ الشَّىْءَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏:‏ لاَ يَنْفَتِلْ أَوْ لاَ يَنْصَرِفْ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ صَوْتًا أَوْ يَجِدَ رِيحًا ‏‏

From 'Abbad bin Tamim, from his uncle, that there was once a man who complained to the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that he hesitated as if he found something (fart) in his prayer (salat). He then said, "He must not move or leave until he hears the sound or smells the smell."

عَنْ أَبِيْ هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ : لَا يَقْبَلُ اللهُ صَلَاةَ أَحَدِكُمْ إِذَا أَحْدَثَ حَتَّى يَتَوَضَّأَ . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ

From Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu, that the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Allah does not accept someone's prayer from you if he has hadas (small impurity) until he performs wudu." This hadith was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

عَنْ أَبِيْ هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : قاَلَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : إِذَا وَجَدَ أَحَدُكُمْ فِيْ بَطْنِهِ شَيْئًا فَأَشْكَلَ عَلَيْهِ أَخَرَجَ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ أَمْ لَا ؟ فَلَا يَخْرُجَنَّ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ صَوْتًا أَوْ يَجِدَ رِيْحًا . أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ

From Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu, he said, "The Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, 'If one of you feels something in his stomach and doubts whether something has come out or not, then he should not leave the mosque until he hears a sound or smells an aroma.'" This hadith was narrated by Muslim.

عَنْ عَلِيٍّ بْنِ طَلْقٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : إِذَا فَسَا أَحَدُكُمْ فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَلْيَنْصَرِفْ وَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ وَلْيُعِدْ الصَّلَاةَ . رَوَاهُ الْخَمْسَةَ

From Ali bin Thalq radiyallahu anhu, he said, "The Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) has said, 'If one of you has emitted a soundless wind from his anus while praying (salat), then let him go out, perform wudu, and then repeat the prayer (salat).'” This hadith was narrated by the five scholars (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah).

Now, if you ask me, “When do we have to do wudu?”, the answer is as follows:

1. If we have minor impurity (الحَدَثُ الأَصْغَرُ) and are going to touch the Quran.
2. If we have minor impurity (الحَدَثُ الأَصْغَرُ) and are going to pray.
3. If we have minor impurity (الحَدَثُ الأَصْغَرُ) and are going to perform Tawaf.

That's a brief explanation of "when do we have to do wudu?". As Muslims, we must understand this.

Is It Okay to Listen to the Quran Without Wudu?

The important thing about “Is it okay to listen to the Quran without wudu?” that I will explain now is a specific explanation. So, I really hope you read the explanation below very carefully.

I have already explained that if Muslims have minor impurity (الحَدَثُ الأَصْغَرُ) and are going to touch the Quran, they must perform wudu first. One important thing that I need to make clear here and that you should always keep in mind is that there is a big difference between listening to the Quran and reading the Quran. The difference I mean is as follows:

1. Listening to the Quran does not mean reading it.
2. Listening to the Quran can be done without touching it.

Now, if you ask me, “Is it okay to listen to the Quran without wudu?”, the answer is, “Yes, we can listen to the Quran without wudu.”

That's a brief explanation of “Is it okay to listen to the Quran without wudu?”. As Muslims, we must understand this.

What to Do During Listening to the Quran?

The important thing about “Is it okay to listen to the Quran without wudu?” that I will explain now is “What to do before and during listening to the Quran?”. I want you to understand this by the end of this discussion so that you know what you need to do before listening to the Quran.

Briefly, I would like to say that one important thing that must be done while listening to the Quran is to listen to it very attentively.

That's a brief explanation of "What to do before and during listening to the Quran?". As Muslims, we must understand this.

Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding the nuances of when wudu is required is crucial for any practicing Muslim. As discussed, while wudu is necessary for touching or reciting the Quran, it is not a prerequisite for simply listening to it. This distinction helps in maintaining our devotional practices in accordance with Islamic teachings, without making them unnecessarily cumbersome.

It’s essential to grasp that listening to the Quran does not entail the same requirements as direct interaction with the holy text. Therefore, while we must adhere to the rules of purity for actions like prayer and touching the Quran, listening to it is a different matter entirely.

As we move forward, remember that attentiveness and respect towards the Quran, regardless of our state of wudu, reflect our commitment to its teachings. Engaging with the Quran, whether through listening or reading, is a significant spiritual practice that enriches our faith.

Thank you for reading this article. If you have any questions or need further clarification, feel free to reach out. I hope this discussion has been enlightening and beneficial for you. Ameen.

Stay tuned for more insightful articles in the future!