There are some deeds which Muslims are prohibited to perform unless they are in a state of purity,due to the greatness and the loftiness of these deeds.What follows is a discussion of these deeds accompanied with the related proofs, so as to familiaruze the reader with such deeds and not to perform any of them unless he/she is in the proper state of purity. Furthermore, there are deeds that one in a state of ritual impurity, be it major or minor, is prohibited to do.On the other hand, there are some deeds specifically prohibited only for those in a state of major ritual impurity.

Deeds Prohibited for One in a State of Minor or Major Ritual Impurity

1. Touching the Glorious Book of the Qur'an

It is prohibited for one in the state of ( minor or major ) ritual impurity to touch the Glorious Book of the Quran unless with something that prevents direct contact , for Allah, Exalted be He, says:

" None touch it except the purified..." ( Surah Al-Waqi'ah (56): 79 )

That is, it is prohibited to touch unless by those purified from minor and major ritual impurity, according to the opinion of the words " the purified " in the verse refers to human beings. However, there are some exegetes who state that the words " the purified " in the aforesaid verse refer to the noble angels. Even if the verse is interpreted that the words " the purified " refer to the angels, they also refer to human beings by implication. To illustrate, it was mentioned in the letter sent by Allah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi was sallam) to the people of Yemen, as narrated by 'Amr ibn Hazm that:

" No one should touch the Book of the Quran unless they are pure."

( Related by An-Nasai and other compilers of Hadith with a continuous chain of transmitters)

In addition, Ibn 'Abdul Barr said:

" This hadeeth is more likely to be a mutawatir ( continuously recurrent) hadith as it is commonly accepted by scholars."

Shaykhul Islam ( Ibn Taymiyyah ) states that the prohibition of touching the Book of the Quran while being in a state of ( major or minor ) ritual impurity is agreed upon by the Four Imams. Ibn Hubyarah also states in his book entitled Al-Ifsah ( Enunciation ), " They ( i.e. the Four Imams ) agree that it is impossible for one in a state of ritual impurity to touch the Book of the Quran." However , one in a state of ritual impurity is allowed to hold the Book of the Quran in a cover or a bag so as to not touch it directly. Similarly, one in such a state of impurity is allowed to read or browse through the Book without touching it.

---

Shaykh Salih Al-Fawzaan
A Summary of Islamic Jurisprudence
Vol.1, pp 19-20

---