Reciting the Quran during a thunderstorm
Fatwa No: 142023

Question

As-salamu aleikum, The people here say that you cannot recite Quran during a thunderstorm. Is there any proof for that? I've never read anything to that effect myself in either the Quran or ahadith.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is His Slave and Messenger.


There is no blame for reciting the Quran when the wind blows or when there is a thunderstorm; and, to the best of our knowledge, there is no Sharee‘ah-based evidence to prevent that. On the contrary, there is a report from one of the Companions that he recited a part of a Quranic verse on hearing the sound of thunder. It is narrated by Maalik in his ‘Al-Muwatta’’, and Al-Bukhari in his ‘Al-Adab Al-Mufrad’ from ‘Abdullaah ibn Az-Zubayr that whenever he heard the sound of thunder, he would stop talking and recite the part of verse 13:13 (which means): “Exalted be He (Allaah), with Whose praise the thunder exalts, and the angels [as well] from fear of Him.”


Furthermore, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, exhorted the people to recite the Holy Quran during the hours of the night and the day, and he did not forbid it at any particular time. He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “If the holder of the Quran (i.e. the one who memorized the Quran) stands with it (in prayer) reciting it at night and during the day, he would remember it, and if he does not stand with it (in prayer), he would forget it.” [Al-Albaani graded it Saheeh] The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, further said: “There is no envy (Ghibtah, i.e. to have the desire to achieve the good qualities that others have) except in two: a man whom Allaah has given the Quran and he recites it throughout night and day and a man to whom Allaah has granted wealth from which he spends (gives charity) throughout night and day.” [Muslim]


So, whoever claims that it is forbidden to recite the Quran at a particular time is required to establish the evidence for that.


Allaah Knows best.

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