Etiquette of Reading the Quran: Wudu, Touching & Sajdah
Do you need wudu to read the Quran? Can you read from a phone or during menstruation? And how many sajdahs are there? A respectful, sourced overview of the mainstream scholarly views.
This page summarises the mainstream scholarly positions in plain language to help you understand the etiquette of reading the Qur'an. It is not a fatwa, and on several of these questions the schools of law genuinely differ. For a ruling on your own situation, please ask a qualified scholar you trust.
Reciting vs. touching the mushaf
The key distinction scholars draw is between reciting the Qur'an and physically touching the muṣḥaf (the bound Arabic text):
- Reciting from memory or aloud — permitted without wudu by the mainstream view. Being in wudu is recommended as respect.
- Touching the physical muṣḥaf — requires wudu according to the four schools, based on Qur'ān 56:79 (“none touch it except the purified”) and the letter of the Prophet ﷺ in Muwaṭṭaʾ Mālik.
- Reading from a phone or app — the majority treat a screen differently from a bound muṣḥaf, so reading Qur'an on your phone without wudu is generally allowed. See is it OK to read the Quran in transliteration for the related question of medium and reward.
Major impurity (janābah) and menstruation
Someone in a state of major ritual impurity — after intimacy, or during menstruation and post-natal bleeding — is treated more strictly by the majority, who hold that verbal recitation and touching the muṣḥaf should wait. However, this is a real point of scholarly difference: a notable group of scholars permit a menstruating woman to read (especially from memory, a phone, or for teaching and study), and remembrance of Allah, du'ā, and reading translations are agreed to remain open to everyone. Because the views differ, follow the guidance of a scholar you trust.
The sajdah of recitation (14 or 15)
The Qur'an contains verses of prostration (āyāt al-sajdah). When you recite or hear one, a single prostration is performed. The count is 14 or 15 depending on the school — the Ḥanafī, Mālikī, and Ḥanbalī schools count 14, while the Shāfiʿī school counts 15 (adding a second in Sūrah al-Ḥajj). Each location is marked in the margin of a printed muṣḥaf. To perform it: say Allāhu akbar, make one sujūd reciting Subḥāna Rabbiyal-Aʿlā three times, then rise — it is one prostration, not a full unit of prayer.
Sources
- Qur'ān 56:79 — “None touch it except the purified.”
- Muwaṭṭaʾ Mālik — the Prophet's ﷺ letter: “No one should touch the Qur'an except one who is pure.”
- Sunan al-Tirmidhī — one letter of the Qur'an equals ten good deeds.
- Sajdah counts follow the positions of the four Sunni schools of law (Ḥanafī, Mālikī, Shāfiʿī, Ḥanbalī).
Keep reading and learning with the basics of tajweed, the transliteration key, or start reciting any surah with word-by-word audio.
Frequently asked questions
Can you recite the Quran without wudu?
Yes. According to the mainstream view of all four Sunni schools, you may recite the Quran from memory, or read it aloud looking at a screen, without wudu. Wuḍūʾ (ablution) is required specifically for touching the physical Arabic muṣḥaf, based on the verse 'none touch it except the purified' (Qurʾān 56:79) and the letter of the Prophet ﷺ reported in Muwaṭṭaʾ Mālik that 'no one should touch the Quran except one who is pure.' Reciting itself without touching the script is permitted, though being in a state of wudu is recommended out of respect. Someone in a state of major impurity (janābah) is treated differently — see below.
Do you need wudu to read the Quran from a phone or app?
The majority position is that you do not need wudu to read the Quran from a phone, tablet, or computer, because a screen is not the physical muṣḥaf — the text is light on a display, not ink bound as a book, and the device is not continuously showing the Quran. So reading Quran on your phone without wudu is generally considered permissible. Many scholars still encourage having wudu as a matter of respect and focus. If in doubt about your specific situation, ask a scholar you trust.
Do you get the same reward for reading the Quran on a phone?
Yes. The reward is tied to reciting the words of the Quran, not to the medium you read them from. A well-known ḥadīth states that whoever reads a single letter of the Quran earns a good deed multiplied tenfold (Sunan al-Tirmidhī). That applies whether you read from a printed muṣḥaf, a phone, or from memory. A printed muṣḥaf carries additional etiquette (such as wudu to touch it), but reading from a phone is fully rewarded.
Can I read the Quran on my period?
Scholars differ. The majority of the four schools have historically held that a menstruating woman should not recite the Quran verbally or touch the muṣḥaf until her period ends. However, a significant body of scholars — including the Mālikī position for a woman who fears forgetting, and many contemporary scholars — permit her to read, especially from memory, from a phone, or for study, teaching, and dhikr. Because this is a genuine point of scholarly difference, follow the guidance of a scholar you trust. Reciting supplications and general remembrance of Allah is agreed to be permissible throughout.
Can you touch the Quran on your period?
The dominant view across the schools is that a menstruating woman should not touch the bare Arabic muṣḥaf directly, based on the same evidence about touching the Quran in a state of purity. Many scholars allow touching it with a barrier (such as gloves or a cloth), and allow reading from a phone or a translation where the Arabic is not the main text. Views differ, so this is an area to confirm with a qualified scholar for your situation.
How many sajdahs (prostrations of recitation) are in the Quran?
There are either 14 or 15 sajdah al-tilāwah (prostrations of recitation) in the Quran, depending on the school. The Ḥanafī, Mālikī, and Ḥanbalī schools count 14; the Shāfiʿī school counts 15 because it includes a second prostration in Sūrah al-Ḥajj (22:77). The additional, widely-noted point of difference is the sajdah in Sūrah Ṣād (38:24), which some count as a sajdah of thankfulness rather than recitation. Muṣḥafs mark each sajdah location with a symbol in the margin.
How do you perform the sajdah of recitation?
When you recite or hear a verse of prostration (āyat al-sajdah), it is recommended (and considered obligatory in the Ḥanafī school) to prostrate once. The simplest agreed method: say 'Allāhu akbar,' go into a single prostration (sujūd) as you do in prayer, say the tasbīḥ of sujūd such as 'Subḥāna Rabbiyal-Aʿlā' three times, then rise. It is a single prostration, not a full rakʿah. Many scholars require wudu and facing the qibla as in prayer; others are more lenient outside of ṣalāh. Follow the method taught in your school.