Ask Shaykh YQ #112 – Can I Play the Quran in the Background While Doing Chores or Other Tasks

We have an email from SR Zahra from Leicester, who says that she listens to the Quran as much as she can while driving and her in her house. But she came across a verse in the Quran which says that when the Quran is recited, one must stop everything and listen attentively. So she is asking whether it is permissible to have the Quran playing in the background when she's driving, or when she's doing housework. She might not be actively listening. Is she sinful for this or not?

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The response to this question, the verse that our sisters are from Leicester, by the way, when I used to go to England, frequently in the beginning, I would say life's history because that's how it's spelt and I made a big embarrassment of myself when I visited the city and I mispronounce the name because it's spelt like sister but it is pronounced Leicester. So in from the city of Leicester she emails and she asks about this verse in the Quran, the verse that she is referencing as soon as an hour off verse 204. So does the out offers for 204 Allah subhana wa tada says, What either hotel or an offer stemmy rula who answer to come to her moon. When the Quran is recited, then pay

attention to it and be quiet so that you may achieve Allah's mercy. So the Koran this verse here gives us the ideal situation the ideal scenario, and that is that when the Koran is played, you should pay attention to it.

Without Patel Koran hufa stemmy Allah who answer to his tema means to pay full attention

excuse me, well answer to means that you be quiet and you are not you know, doing something that's going to be against the fact that you're paying full attention so that you may achieve Allah's mercy. Now this first tells us the ideal and the ideal is that you listen to the Quran as an action of worship because realize when it comes to the Koran, there are two separate actions number one reciting number two listening it is authentically reported that our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asked obey in cab to recite the Quran to Him and obey said O Messenger of Allah, do you want me to recite the Quran to you and it was revealed to you? And he said yes, because I love to listen

to his recitation as well. So to recite the Quran is an act of worship, to listen to his recitation is an act of worship. Therefore, the ideal is that you listen to the Koran as an action of worship. Now, the question arises, are you allowed to listen to the Quran while you're not paying full attention? Let's divide this into two scenarios. The first scenario is that the Quran is being played and there is no intention to even listen to it. And that there is in fact, something disruptive going on that the ambience or the atmosphere that the Quran is being played in, is not conducive is not meant to be listened to at all. And there are examples of this as well that a man

will also be, for example, says that when this verse came down, because when the parish would hear the Koran, that they would raise their voices out of arrogance, and they would start blabbering away with saying anything so that people would not listen to the Koran. So this verse came down, that telling the Muslims don't follow that action. What was that action to intentionally disrupt the recitation of the Quran to do something obnoxious and rude? This is a very dangerous could be a type of gopher, even if you intentionally want to disrespect the Koran by doing something of this nature. But what if you're, again, not intentionally doing something but still not wanting to pay attention?

In this case, it is mcru or maybe even how long? The famous humble is called Alba. Hootie says in kashia Falconer he says that even our tail mentions that it is not allowed it is held on for the Quran to be recited in the market places. Meaning what does he mean here? So again, pause here, we're not talking about somebody wanting to recite, and he's reciting of his own accord. We're talking about somebody brings up audit, and says, Hey, I want you to recite over here we're talking about unintentional setup, where the origin is being recited. And people are just talking away and transacting and whatnot. In other words, a mound of booty one of the great humbling icons, he's

basically saying, don't have the Quran as background in the swag and you know, sometimes we visit supermarkets and places around the world. And me personally, I just say I don't like the fact that the Quran is being played in the entire marketplaces. I know sometimes it feels good, and I understand that but at the same time, it

The bazaars and the supermarket's I personally, I find this again like, like a, like a motorboat, he said that people are going to be negotiating bargaining. They're arguing things happen in the marketplace that again might not necessarily be the best. So

that having been said, I can see, in some circumstances if you're in a land where there are people of different ethnicities and cultures and faiths and one shopkeeper has the Quran playing so that people know that this is let's say, you know, a shop that is owned by a Muslim I can see a reason over there. But still just to have the Quran playing for the sake of having the Quran playing in a massive supermarket or a bazaar or something of this nature, I find this to be, you know, not the best because it's not the place that the Quran should be recited, there is an element that you're you're just doing something that maybe the majority of people are not interested in listening to

that this is the first scenario. And I would say that it is definitely best as the default. I'm not saying in every scenario as the default, to not intentionally play the Quran, in an area where people are not really interested in listening to it. Now, that having been said, again, there are so many exceptions, some of our scholars allowed the Quran to be played in a public area amongst non Muslims that have never listened to the Quran so that they can listen to something still, there are pros and cons. And again, each case situation should be decided on a case by case basis. That's the first scenario.

I would still say the default is more on the side of caution to not play the second scenario, which is what you are saying, there is not so so let's to give an example that the first year you have the Koran playing, and you have a movie playing out loud as well. In your own house, why would you have the Quran playing and something's happening on the television that are not appropriate or music being played? And you are in control of both? You're the one who put the Quran and then you know, somebody else or whatever, or maybe even yourself are watching there? Why would there be that you don't want that clash to happen to you? It's not something that is appropriate. But your question is

number two second scenario, and that is that you are wanting to listen to the Koran, that's why you're putting it on the background. But you're also multitasking, okay? That's the different scenario one, there is no intention to listen to the economy is just being played, you know, just for noise or background. It's not something that is intended to be listened to scenario to you are not able to listen to the Quran 100%, but you want to listen to it, and you're putting it on while you're multitasking. You're saying for example, you're cleaning the house, you're ironing the clothes, you're cooking, you know you're doing something and the Quran is playing, and you are

listening to it. But you are also multitasking. This scenario is separate from the first one. And this scenario. Yes, it is true. Some of our modern scholars have discouraged it, including our teachers, gentleman, Arthur, I mean, a lot humble. But there are many scholars that have allowed it. And I believe that given the circumstances that we live in, the allowance seems to be the better of the two options because your goal is to listen to it, even if it's 50% 40% you're wanting to listen to it. And especially if you're memorizing or listening to a suitor that you love, and you're just going over the meanings over and over again. The goal here is for the Baraka it is for the

recitation, and you're putting it on while you're multitasking. In shallow diner, this does not contradict there is no sin associated with it because the alternative is nothing you see here's the point if you were to shut it off, what would you do stop for a while some people would put on something you know that is no equivalent to the Koran as background and we don't want that either. So given the circumstances where people are turning away from the book of Allah anyway for a mother to put this on and the children you know are you know, toddlers, they're raising they're being raised to listen to the Koran What a beautiful You know, environment and ambience to be to be raised

up in this matter. And so in my humble opinion, Allah subhana wa tada knows best that if it is the second scenario again, what is the first scenario that is being played and there's zero intention to listen to it? In this case? No, do not play it Do not play it because it is not appropriate to turn on the the you know, audio or the YouTube or the CD or the cassettes, whatever it is. Does anybody still use cassettes? I don't know. But anyway, I used to have hundreds of foreign cassettes grandma had an entire section of my, you know, hundreds of all of the photo very well that was back in the days of the 80s. And then the days of the CDs came and then these days, nothing is just all online.

So hello. So my point is that you're going to put on the Quran and nobody wants to listen to it in the entire household including You know, that's not appropriate. You put the Quran on set scenario two, and you are multitasking, one part of us listening. The other part of you is cleaning, doing the chores, inshallah, tada that is permissible and it does not contradict the verse because there is a level of insult and a level of esteem going on. There's a level of you want to listen and a level of Okay, I want to put the Koran and

Cuz I want to listen to the meaning and the beauty of the Quran. So inshallah tada that is permissible and Allah subhanho wa Taala knows best