Article Number: 11
Created On: 2008-05-25 1:17 AM
URL : http://www.guidedways.com/kb/question.php?ID=11
AssalamuAlaikum,
Brother JazaaqAllahu khair for asking us this question. First of all we
should clarify that we are not scholars of Islam and so the following
opinion is absolutely our own based on our understanding and thought.
Brother Islam is a simple and logical religion. By creating limitations
especially in gaining the knowledge of Islam we only affect ourselves.
With the advent of technology and computers, a lot of things have
changed. Let us ask you this, right now say you are using your computer
which is logged onto the internet. Let's assume you are not in the
state of wudu. As soon as you logged onto the internet, your computer
implicitly has direct access to all the knowldge on it, be it Haram
(all sorts of pornographic, anti-islamic material etc) or Halal
(Knowledge of Islam, Quran, educational material etc). Now, since
you're not in a state of wudu, does this mean you should keep away from
typing on the computer and take it outside your room? Of course not.
Similarly, if your mobile phone has the Quran installed, you can make
sure it's not running (and you're not reciting it) when you go into the
rest room etc. This is only common sense brother.
Now, regarding the software installed on the phone itself - we consider
it completely Halal. Brother a mobile phone or a computer or a PC - any
sort of device that can store a software has something called 'Memory'
where it stores things. Similarly, us humans can be considered
'computers' with 'memories' where we store things. There may be many
things that we memorize in addition to the Qur'an. This however would
not make it haram to carry your head around. Now, say you're a hafiz
and you have learnt and memorized the complete Qur'an. There may be
times when you'd want to go to the toilet, and of course there would be
times when you're not in a clean state or in a place where you wouldn't
feel fit reciting the Noble Qur'an. If we base our decision not to
memorize the Noble Quran just because we would be working as cleaners
in a rest room then that would be silly. If that is not haram, then
similarly it cannot be haram to store the Quran in a computer or a
mobile phone or any device. Think of it as your 'extra' memory, since
that's what it exactly is. It's a device for storing details (contact
details, softwares, reminders etc etc). When you're in a
toilet,
don't
open it and start reciting just as you wouldn't start reciting if you
were a hafiz. If you are in a clean state, read it as much as you like.
Similarly brother no one can be in a state of wudu at all times. There
are several rulings on as to whether its allowed to read the Qur'an
without wudu or not. One example is that of non-muslims. Without
reading the Qur'an they cannot be converted. Nowadays most people
converting buy their own copy, read the translation and are inspired by
it to become muslims. If it was not allowed for them to read it without
wudu then no one would become muslims except those born as one.
In any case, we should make use of technology as much as we can for
Allah as we do for anything else. If you were a physician and we
produced a book on physics for mobiles, you would have loved to read it
whenever possible in order to revise and practice. Why cannot this be
applied to Allah (swt) when it comes to the love of Islam? By depriving
ourselves of the Noble Qur'an we only cause grief to ourselves.
Another example before we wrap it up is of a person who mailed us some
time back saying that all his life he had been reciting Surah
Al-Takathur. However on his way back from work in a bus, he read it's
translation for the first time and was completely ecstatic. The Qur'an
is a book of guidance and rememberance of Allah, and surely the true
peace of heart lies in the rememberance of Allah:
Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace and satisfaction. (Ra'd 13:28)