Search In Fatwa

Permissible to Sell the Mus-haf

Question

Is it permissible to demand money to teach the Qur'an (especially by the Imam of the community), and is it permissible to sell copies of the Qur'an?

Answer

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

For your first question, please refer to Fataawa 85953 and 86045.

The Muslim scholars have different opinions concerning the sale of a Mus-haf (the Quran). The majority of them are of the opinion that it is lawful; the Maaliki, Hanafi, and Shaafi’i Schools are among those who permit it.

The Shaafi’i School permit selling a Mus'haf but they dislike it. The Hanbali School is of the view that it is not permitted. The stand of the majority of Muslim scholars is the preponderant one because the paper, ink that is used in writing the Quran, and its binding are subject to the sale not the Quran itself. Moreover, selling a Mus-haf to a non-Muslim is not permitted for the Hadeeth that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) forbade traveling with the Quran to a non-Muslim country. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Imam Muslim added the words in the above narration: “…lest they may take it.

The reason of this prohibition is that they (non-Muslims) may disrespect the Quran. Muslim scholars concluded from the above Hadeeth the prohibition of selling or presenting the Quran to a non-Muslim since it may lead to the humiliation of the Quran.

As for calling them towards Islam, or showing them the merits of Islam, one may give them the translation of the Quran or other literature about Islam even if it contains some verses of the Quran. Imam An-Nawawi reported the agreement of the scholars on the permissibility of writing some verses to non-Muslims. It is narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) had written some verses to Caesar. Also, know that the translation is not considered as Quran, but they are words of human beings to explain the words of Allah.

Allah knows best.

Related Fatwa