Reciting Quran loudly in presence of others
Fatwa No: 193453

Question

Can we recite Quran-ul-kareem loudly where other people are present... also women... not in that room but in other room from where your voice can reach them?

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 is His slave and Messenger.

 

If the people whom you referred to in the question were listening to the recitation of that person or were willing to listen to it, then there is nothing wrong in that [i.e. this is permissible]. If someone recites the Quran and others listen to his recitation, then this is among the desirable methods of reciting the Quran; ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood said: “The Prophet told me: ''Recite the Quran for me.” I said: “How shall I recite the Quran for you while it was revealed to you?” He replied: “I like to hear it from others." So, I recited Chapter An-Nisaa' [Quran 4] and when I reached the Saying of Allaah (which means): {So how [will it be] when We bring from every nation a witness and We bring you, [O Muhammad], against these [people] as a witness?} [Quran 4:41], he said: "Stop now."; then I found his eyes were overflowing with tears." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah said in his book Al-Fataawa Al-Kubra: “If a person recites the Quran and others are listening to him, then this is not disliked without any difference of opinion among the scholars; rather, this is desirable. The Companions used to do so, like Abu Moosa and others.” 

Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah also said in his book Majmoo' Al-Fataawa: “When the Companions of the Prophet used to gather, they would order one of them to recite the Quran while the others would listen to him and ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab used to say to Abu Moosa Al-Ash'ari: “Remind us of our Lord,” so he would recite the Quran while they would listen to him.” 

On the other hand, if the group does not want to listen because of being preoccupied by something else, and if they hear the voice of the reciter, it would probably disturb them or harm them, then, in this case, one should not raise his voice (while reciting); Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: If there are other people who are disturbed by his recitation, like a sleeping person or a person who is performing the prayer, and the like, then he should not raise his voice to an extent that disturbs them, because the Prophet came out to the people while some of them were praying while raising their voice with the recitation of the Quran, and he said: Indeed a person who is praying is calling upon his Lord, so he should concentrate on what he is calling with and you should not raise your voices over others while reciting the Quran.” [Maalik in Al-Muwatta', and Ibn 'Abdul Barr said: It is a Saheeh (sound) Hadeeth]

For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 86801.

Allaah Knows best.

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