Question:
Assalamualaikum SS Dato’ Seri Mufti. What is the ruling of not covering the aurah while reading the Quran, for example, a woman not wearing the veil, or wearing shorts for man?
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam wbt.
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
The original ruling of not covering the aurah when someone is reading the Quran is permissible. The reason is there are no evidences from the Quran or hadiths which state on this.
However, we would like to emphasize that one of the manners of reading the Quran is to cover one’s aurah completely as asserted by scholars, such as Dr Nuh ‘Ali Salman a member of Egypt’s Dar al-Iftaa’.
This is the best way of reading the Quran, for it is one of our ways to uphold the eminence and honour of the Quran revealed by Allah SWT and a proof of our consciousness towards Him, as stated in the Quran itself:
وَمَنْ يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ
“And whoever honors the symbols of Allah - indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.”
Surah al-Hajj (32)
Al-Hakim al-Tirmizi in his book Nawadir al-Usul states, one of the ways we show our respect and uphold the Quran is through:
أَن تتلبس لَهُ كَمَا تتلبس للدخول على الْأَمِير لِأَنَّك مناج
“You should dress as if you are meeting a king with a request.”
He further states:
وكان أبو العالية إذا قرأ اعتم ولبس وارتدى واستقبل القبلة
“It is said that when Abul ‘Aliyah wanted to read the Quran, he would wear his turban and his best clothing facing the qibla.” (Refer Al-Hakim al-Tirmizi, Nawadir al-Usul fi Ahadith al-Rasul, 3/253)
Conclusion
To conclude, we would like to reiterate that reading the Quran while one does not cover his aurah is permissible, however, as a way of showing our respect and honouring this sacred and honoured book from Allah SWT to all mankind, then we should read it when we have covered our aurah completely as emphasized and practised by the scholars and salafussoleh.
Wallahua’lam.
End Notes:
[1] Refer to Egypt Dar al-Iftaa’ official website: http://www.aliftaa.jo/Question.aspx?QuestionId=485#.W6ow59czbIU