by Asma bint Shameem
“Loh e Qur’aani” is actually a collection of certain words from the Qur’aan called “al-Huroof al-Muqatta’ah” written on a plaque or painting, etc.
“Al-Huroof al-Muqatta’ah” is the name given to a group of letters which appear at the beginning of certain Surahs of the Qur’aan.
For example: “Alif Laam Meem” at the beginning of Surah al-Baqarah and others. Or “Alif Laam Raa” at the beginning of Surah Yunus, or
“Taa Seen” at the beginning of Surah an-Naml and so on.
🔺 What do these letters mean?
It is not known that the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam interpreted these Huroof Muqatta’ah or explained their meanings to the Sahaabah.
And that’s why many of the Sahaabah
and others after them, refrained from talking about them or attempt to interpret them.
Those who did attempt to explain them had various different opinions.
But no one can really say for sure what they mean.
Only Allaah holds the true knowledge of these letters.
🍃 The scholars of the Standing Committee said:
“ Some of the scholars tried to discover the wisdom behind these letters and said:
These letters are mentioned – and Allaah knows best – at the beginning of soorahs which point to the miraculous nature of the Qur’aan, which implies that all mankind is unable to match it, even though it is composed of the letters that they use in their daily speech.
This was the view supported by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and was approved of by Abu’l-Hajjaaj al-Mazzi.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.”
(Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, vol. 4, p. 144)
🔺 Are these letters ‘SPECIAL’ or have any ‘SECRETS’ behind them?
The WHOLE of the Qur’aan, EACH and EVERY WORD is ‘SPECIAL’ and there are NO ‘SECRET MEANINGS’ hidden behind these Huroof, as some ignorant people claim.
🔺 Can I read these “Huroof al-Muqatta’aat” by themselves?
As for reading them by themselves, there’s no proof of that from the Sharee’ah.
There’s no hadeeth of the Prophet and no report of the Sahaabah ever collecting these letters and reading them XYZ times for ANY reason on ANY occasion.
If it was something good, they would have done it. And we would have had the instructions of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam regarding it.
But we don’t.
So if the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam didn’t do it, why should we?
Think about it...
If no one can say what they mean, then how can we say it’s good to read these words at a certain time or place, a certain number of times etc for such and such reason?
🔺 Can I hang them up for ‘Protection’?
It’s NOT ALLOWED to hang up or wear ANY part of the Qur’aan for ‘protection’ against harm.
That comes under the category of ‘amulets’ which are FORBIDDEN in Islaam.
🍃The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:
“Whoever wears an amulet has committed SHIRK (i.e., associated something with Allaah).”
(Ahmad and al-Haakim; saheeh by al-Albaani)
🍃The scholars of the Standing Committee said;
“Attaching pieces of paper on which are written verses from the Qur’aan or du’aas to the body or some part of it, or putting them under the bed, etc., is not permitted, because it comes under the category of hanging up amulets which is forbidden by the hadeeth of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.”
🍃And they said:
“Anyone who believes that (an amulet) is just a means and that Allaah is the One who brings benefits or causes harm, and that He is the one who brings about the effects of causes is a mushrik in the sense of MINOR SHIRK, because an amulet is not a regular means and it is not prescribed in Islaam; rather it is just something imaginary.” (Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah, 22/433-434)
🔺 Can I hang them for Barakah?
Since the huroof al -Muqatta’aat are words of the Qur’aan, it’s NOT ALLOWED to hang them for ‘Barakah’ or seek protection from them.
The words of the Qur’aan are to be READ and UNDERSTOOD and IMPLEMENTED in our lives.
And NOT to be hung for ‘Barakah’ or ‘protection’ or any other reason.
The Qur’aan is a prescription on how to lead a life of righteousness according to the commands of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala.
It’s a book of GUIDANCE.
It’s NOT for hanging or decorating or ‘donating’ its rewards to the dead.
Always remember...
TRUE Barakah comes from the OBEDIENCE of Allaah; NOT from hanging things on the wall.
Hanging words of the Qur’aan is like if you have a headache, instead of swallowing an analgesic tablet for your pain, you hang it on the wall!
🍃 Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
“Indeed decorating walls with aayaat from the Qur’aan is not from the legislated affairs that the righteous predecessors were upon, and those who do this fall into one of the following categories:
1. The first is that they hang them seeking blessing. This is not legislated because seeking blessing from the Qur’aan in this manner has not been transmitted from the Prophet – ﷺ – or his companions.
Forms of worship or means of getting closer to Allaah that have not been transmitted from the Messenger of Allaah are not legislated due to the saying of Allaah:
“Indeed there is a good example for you in the Messenger of Allaah, for those who hope for (the Meeting with) Allaah and the Last Day, and remembers Allaah much.”
(Surah Al Ahzaab:21)
2. Another situation is that they do this seeking protection; they believe hanging these Aayaat is a protection from the Shayateen.
This also has NO BASIS in the Sunnah, the practice of the Sahaabah, or the practice of the righteous companions.
It also has an impermissible angle related to it; that a person may depend on these aayaat and not carry out what he ought to be doing, which is reciting the Aayaat that protect one from the accursed Shaytaan.
He would say to himself:
Since I have hung Ayatul Kursee in my house, for example, then this would suffice me from reading it.
Since I have hung Suratul Ihklaas and Al Mu’awadhatayn (Surat An-Nas and Al-Falaq) then this is sufficient, I don’t have to recite them.
There is no doubt that this moves one AWAY from the correct method for protection with the noble Qur’aan.
3. The third is that one hangs these papers that contain aayaat of the Qur’aan as a reminder.
In this situation, even if we presume that there is a benefit in this at times, the harms outweigh them.
This is because a lot of rooms have these aayaat from the Qur’aan decorating walls, but those who are within these rooms do not benefit from them. There may be a poster hanging on the wall with the saying of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala:
“And do not backbite one another” (Surah Al-Hujuraat:12)
However, the people who are in that room are backbiting, they do not benefit from this Aayah.
Being that this Aayah which prohibits backbiting is hanging right above their heads while they are backbiting others, it resembles DEFIANCE, and NOT CARING about Allaah’s prohibitions.
Therefore little reminder occurs through these posters that are hung up.
Furthermore, this method of reminder was unknown at the time of the Salaf and there is no doubt that their guidance is better than ours and more correct.
This is why the Prophet ﷺ said:
“The best of people are my generation, then those that came after them, then those that came after them.”
(Silsilah Liqa’aat Al-Baab Al-Maftooh 197)
🔺 Conclusion
- Hanging up these “al-Huroof al-Muqatta’aat” whether as a plaque, or on a cloth or painting or anything else is BID’AH.
And bid’ah is a HUGE SIN.
- There’s NO BARAKAH in hanging them.
-There are NO ‘secret meanings’ hidden in them.
-There’s NO benefit in ‘looking’ at them.
-These letters and words DO NOT PROTECT you.
In fact, believing that is SHIRK.
🔺So what to do if I already have this at home?
It’s best to take this Loh e Qur’aani down and burn it respectfully since these are actually the words of the Qur’aan.
And no there’s no disrespect to the Qur’aan in doing that.
📌 Proof:
When Uthmaan radhi Allaahu anhu consolidated the Qur’aan in the dialect of the Quraish, he ordered all the other copies of the Qur’aan to be burned respectfully.
And that’s also what the other Sahaabah did.
(See al-Bukhaari 4987)
And Allaah knows best.
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