(This is) a Book (the Quran) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember. (Soorah Sad 39:29)
It was not sent down to be hung on the walls, and it was not sent down in order to use it as calligraphy. And there is another warning against hanging it on the walls, which I do not believe anyone can avoid. These gathering which have something from the Quran in the places of impermissible vain speech; perhaps backbiting will be heard there, perhaps lying and insulting will be heard there, and perhaps impermissible acts will be performed there. Thus this will be an act of mockery with the Book of Allah, because the verse will be above the heads of those present while the disobey Allah the Exalted in front of the verses from the Book of Allah.
Hanging plaques and cloths containing aayaat of the Qur’aan in homes, schools, social clubs and places of business, involves a number of reservations and prohibitions according to Islam, such as the following:
(1) In most cases, hanging such things on the wall is done for purposes of decoration and adornment, as the aayaat etc. are written in calligraphy and colourful brocade. This is an inappropriate use of the Qur’aan, as it was revealed to guide people and to be read regularly. The Qur’aan was not revealed to decorate walls, but to guide mankind.
(2) Some people hang up such things for “blessing” - which is a form of bid‘ah. The blessing as described in Islam comes from reading or reciting the Qur’aan, not from hanging it up or placing it on shelves or turning it into artwork and three-dimensional images.
(3) This is contrary to the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Rightly-Guided Khaleefahs (al-Khulafaa’ al-Raashidoon), may Allaah be pleased with them, who never did such a thing. The best way is to follow them, not to introduce bid‘ah. History tells us that in places such as Andalusia, Turkey, etc., the adornment of houses and mosques with ornate carvings of aayaat only happened at times when the Muslims were weak and humiliated.
(4) Hanging up such pictures or plaques could lead to shirk, because some people think that these things are amulets that will protect the house and its people from evil and disease. This is shirk and is haraam, because the One Who really offers protection is Allaah, may He be glorified, and one of the means of gaining His protection is sincere recitation of the Qur’an and du‘aa’s taught in the Qur’aan and Sunnah.
(5) There is the risk that the Qur’aan may be used, in such cases, as a means of promoting one’s business or increasing one’s earnings. The Qur’aan should be protected from being used for such purposes. It is well-known that the production and sale of these pictures and plaques involves a great deal of extravagance and wasting money.
(6) Many of these plaques are painted with real gold, which makes using them and hanging them up even more haraam.
(7) Many of these plaques involve a kind of carelessness, because the letters are twisted into complex designs that are of no benefit to anyone because they are barely legible. Sometimes words are fashioned into the shape of a bird or a man prostrating, and similarly forbidden pictures of animate beings.
(8) Ayaat and soorahs of the Qur’aan are exposed to misuse and abuse by this practice. For example, when moving house, they are piled up with the rest of the furniture and belongings, and other objects may be placed on top of them. This also happens when they are taken down so that the wall may be painted or cleaned.
(9) Some Muslims whose observance of Islam is lacking put these plaques and pictures up so that they can feel that they are doing something religious, in order to reduce their feelings of guilt – in spite of the fact that this practice does not help them in any way.
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Hanging plaques and cloths containing aayaat of the Qur’aan in homes, schools, social clubs and places of business, involves a number of reservations and prohibitions according to Islam, such as the following:
(1) In most cases, hanging such things on the wall is done for purposes of decoration and adornment, as the aayaat etc. are written in calligraphy and colourful brocade. This is an inappropriate use of the Qur’aan, as it was revealed to guide people and to be read regularly. The Qur’aan was not revealed to decorate walls, but to guide mankind.
(2) Some people hang up such things for “blessing” - which is a form of bid‘ah. The blessing as described in Islam comes from reading or reciting the Qur’aan, not from hanging it up or placing it on shelves or turning it into artwork and three-dimensional images.
(3) This is contrary to the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Rightly-Guided Khaleefahs (al-Khulafaa’ al-Raashidoon), may Allaah be pleased with them, who never did such a thing. The best way is to follow them, not to introduce bid‘ah. History tells us that in places such as Andalusia, Turkey, etc., the adornment of houses and mosques with ornate carvings of aayaat only happened at times when the Muslims were weak and humiliated.
(4) Hanging up such pictures or plaques could lead to shirk, because some people think that these things are amulets that will protect the house and its people from evil and disease. This is shirk and is haraam, because the One Who really offers protection is Allaah, may He be glorified, and one of the means of gaining His protection is sincere recitation of the Qur’an and du‘aa’s taught in the Qur’aan and Sunnah.
(5) There is the risk that the Qur’aan may be used, in such cases, as a means of promoting one’s business or increasing one’s earnings. The Qur’aan should be protected from being used for such purposes. It is well-known that the production and sale of these pictures and plaques involves a great deal of extravagance and wasting money.
(6) Many of these plaques are painted with real gold, which makes using them and hanging them up even more haraam.
(7) Many of these plaques involve a kind of carelessness, because the letters are twisted into complex designs that are of no benefit to anyone because they are barely legible. Sometimes words are fashioned into the shape of a bird or a man prostrating, and similarly forbidden pictures of animate beings.
(8) Ayaat and soorahs of the Qur’aan are exposed to misuse and abuse by this practice. For example, when moving house, they are piled up with the rest of the furniture and belongings, and other objects may be placed on top of them. This also happens when they are taken down so that the wall may be painted or cleaned.
(9) Some Muslims whose observance of Islam is lacking put these plaques and pictures up so that they can feel that they are doing something religious, in order to reduce their feelings of guilt – in spite of the fact that this practice does not help them in any way.
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