Is it permissable for a Muslim to Give a Qur'an to a Non-Muslim

**Woodrow** · 05-21-2006

I've only been a revert for about a year. Today I got into a debate with my son in law about this today. He has been Muslim since birth and is nearly 50 years old.

He says a Muslim should never give a Qur'an to a non-Muslim. I began reading the Qur'an about 30 years ago as an Academic pursuit. I've had a copy of the Qur'an ever since then. I believe I reverted because of what I read in the Qur'an. I feel it is beneficial for a searcher to have a Qur'an. Yes the Qur'an I have is written only in Arabic, with no English. Although I do have several translations by various translators.

I can find nothing to back up either my own or my son-in-law's views.

Can anybody help?

**F.Y.** · 05-21-2006

I believe it is our duty to give the Quran to a non-muslim if they are willing to read it or are interested in it. I have never heard of not being able to give the Quran to a non-muslim.

How are they supposed to know Islam's teachings if we can't give them a Qur'an?
That's what I think anyway.

Peace

**Woodrow** · 05-21-2006

Originally Posted by F.Y.

I believe it is our duty to give the Quran to a non-muslim if they are willing to read it or are interested in it. I have never heard of not being able to give the Quran to a non-muslim.

How are they supposed to know Islam's teachings if we can't give them a Qur'an?
That's what I think anyway.

Peace

That is my feeling also, but I can not find anything to back it up. I do not want to do anything wrong. I am planning to give one to a friend who is asking many questions about Islam.

**Skillganon** · 05-21-2006

I heard, from some scholar saying it is permissable to give the Quran (of course with a translation) to a non-muslim, but I never heard of any evidence given saying you can't.

Let me to some further research on the matter, but I do strongly believe you can.

**primitivefuture** · 05-21-2006

I suggest you don't do such a thing. The non-Muslim may end up burning the Koran (God forbid).

**- Qatada -** · 05-21-2006

I've heard that a non muslim shouldn't touch the qur'an which is in arabic, the same way a muslim shouldn't touch it when they are in a state of impurity. But both can touch a translation of the Qur'an, or the tafsir of the Qur'an.

This might be of help, Insha'Allaah:

Question :

I am trying to convert some Christians and "Free thinkers" into Islam and they seem to be interested in knowing what is in the Qur'an. They have both read the Bible and they believe it is Holy, but with contradictions. I, however told them that the Qur'an unlike the Bible has no contradictions in it and that it contains all the information about this World and the hearafter that they need to know. They are however yet to believe.As a method of proving this, I was going to buy them each a copy of the Holy Qur'an translated by Muhammad Asad. They have promised to read it and tell me what they think. Do you think this is a good idea?

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

A translation of the meanings of the Qur’aan is not considered to be Qur’aan, and it does not have the same status in all aspects. Rather it is like a tafseer (commentary, exegesis) of the Qur’aan in Arabic, which explains the meanings and assists in understanding. On this basis, it is permissible to give the kuffaar a translation of the meanings of the Qur’aan, without the Arabic text, and it is permissible for them to touch a tafseer in Arabic.

(Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 4/133)

On this basis, it is permissible for you to give them this translation. May Allaah help us and you to call people to His way in a good manner. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=en...QR=10694&dgn=4)

source: http://www.islamicboard.com/139113-post14.html

Are we allowed to touch the Quraan without wudhu?

Giving the Qur'an to Non-Muslims

Allaahu ta'aala a'lam. (Allaah Almighty knows best.)

**primitivefuture** · 05-21-2006

Originally Posted by Alpha Dude

...OR end up reverting to islam.

I personally wouldnt take any risks.

**Fishman** · 05-21-2006

Originally Posted by primitivefuture

I suggest you don't do such a thing. The non-Muslim may end up burning the Koran (God forbid).

That doesn't often happen! Our school doesn't have any Muslim teachers, and in the RE department box is a Quran (I think it's a translation). Non-Muslims who want to read the Quran are generally considerate of our beliefs.

**primitivefuture** · 05-21-2006

Originally Posted by Fishman

That doesn't often happen!

I'm sure it happens more often than you think.

**H4RUN** · 05-21-2006

thing is it is not permisible to even touch the quran if you are not in a state of wudu......“Do not touch the Qur’an unless you are in a state of purity.” [Related by Imam Malik in his Muwatta, and deemed sound by early and late hadith authorities, such as Imam Nawawi in his Majmu`]
Allahualim

**czgibson** · 05-21-2006

Greetings,

Dawah is one of the duties of a Muslim, is it not? Surely giving a non-Muslim a copy of the Qur'an would help in this?

PF, if you were trying to get a kaffir interested in Islam, would you say "I'll tell you all about it, but you can only read the Qur'an once you've converted"?

Peace

**primitivefuture** · 05-21-2006

Originally Posted by czgibson

PF, if you were trying to get a kaffir interested in Islam, would you say "I'll tell you all about it, but you can only read the Qur'an once you've converted"?

Idk about that, actually. Depends on the person and if I trust him or not. I would NEVER hand over a Quran to a random non-Muslim.

**Fishman** · 05-21-2006

Originally Posted by primitivefuture

I'm sure it happens more often than you think.

Only really ignorant, sad people would do that, and most people who want to read the Quran are neither of those things. If I was given a Quran to read when I was a non-Muslim (technically I still am one), I would be constantly asking a Muslim what I should do to respect it, and probably do more than neccessary.

**chacha_jalebi** · 05-21-2006

we should always try to give dawah & preach to kafirs, because you dont know what might hit them & inshallah they might convert, like anything could catch their attention, because islam is the most butifullest religion!!

*noor · 05-21-2006

Originally Posted by Woodrow

I've only been a revert for about a year. Today I got into a debate with my son in law about this today. He has been Muslim since birth and is nearly 50 years old.

He says a Muslim should never give a Qur'an to a non-Muslim. I began reading the Qur'an about 30 years ago as an Academic pursuit. I've had a copy of the Qur'an ever since then. I believe I reverted because of what I read in the Qur'an. I feel it is beneficial for a searcher to have a Qur'an. Yes the Qur'an I have is written only in Arabic, with no English. Although I do have several translations by various translators.

I can find nothing to back up either my own or my son-in-law's views.

Can anybody help?

i heard that a non-Muslim is not allowed to touch the Quran because he/she is impure. giving them a tafsir of the Quran would probably be a better idea because i heard that there is no problem unless you are giving them a mushaf.

**Woodrow** · 05-21-2006

Shukran, to all for the excellent replies. I did some checking also. Between your answers what I find is that when giving a non-Muslim a copy of the Qur'an first and foremost is the reason for giving.

It seems that there is quite a bit of leeway if the person is a sincere searcher. Even found a few exceptions as to when a person can touch a Qur'an without doing wudu first.

Well to make a long story short: I am convinced my friend has a sincere desire to learn more about Islam. It does seem that most agree a translation is safe. I am going to give my friend a copy of the Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation.

Here are 2 interesting sites I found while looking for info about this:

http://www.sunnipath.com/Resources/Q...A00000016.aspx

http://www.islamicity.com/dialogue/Q545.HTM

**Skillganon** · 05-21-2006

Originally Posted by Woodrow

Shukran, to all for the excellent replies. I did some checking also. Between your answers what I find is that when giving a non-Muslim a copy of the Qur'an first and foremost is the reason for giving.

It seems that there is quite a bit of leeway if the person is a sincere searcher. Even found a few exceptions as to when a person can touch a Qur'an without doing wudu first.

Well to make a long story short: I am convinced my friend has a sincere desire to learn more about Islam. It does seem that most agree a translation is safe. I am going to give my friend a copy of the Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation.

Here are 2 interesting sites I found while looking for info about this:

I will not reccomend yusuf Ali's translatio, his commentary might have mistakes, but I don't know which is a better translation. (One of the poblem of translation)

**glo** · 05-21-2006

Originally Posted by Skillganon

I will not reccomend yusuf Ali's translatio, his commentary might have mistakes, but I don't know which is a better translation. (One of the poblem of translation)

How many translations are there of the Qu'ran into any one language? I assumed that - in contrast to the many Bible versions - there was only ever one.

Peace.

**Skillganon** · 05-21-2006

Originally Posted by glo

How many translations are there of the Qu'ran into any one language? I assumed that - in contrast to the many Bible versions - there was only ever one.

Peace.

EDIT: Sorry for the un-clearity of my post. Was typing fast, was in a hurry.

Let's give a, b and c the oldest written bible, and tell them to translate it english, you will note, that they might make some mistake and might make mistake on some commentary, I am sure you are aware of KJV, NKJV, NIV and so and so, and some problem with some of the translation they have. That's why the QURAN is QURAN (in arabic) Translation is just a translation, and we don't call it the QURAN.

SO we have one Quran.

**glo** · 05-21-2006

Originally Posted by Skillganon

Let's give a, b and c the oldest written bible, and tell them to translate it english, you will note, that they might make some mistake and might make mistake on some commentarr, I am sure you are aware of KJV, NKJV, NIV and so and so, and some problem with some of the problem they have. That's why the QURAN is QURAN (in arabic) Translation is just a translation, and we don't call it the QURAN.

SO we have one Quran.

Interesting. Thank you.

Perhaps I should rephrase my question:
How many translations are there of the [book which is not called the] Qu'ran into any one language?

I am not trying to catch you out, or get into a 'the-pitfalls-of-translation-debate' ... I was just being curious.

Blessings.