Q: As you know, we have a special place reserved for bookshops where religious and literary books are sold. During this period, the sales of the Noble Qur'an (Part No. 3; Page No. 46) to members of the American army have increased. Is it permissible to sell the Book of Allah to those people despite the fact that around 99% of them are non-Muslims. When I asked them why they purchased the Qur'an, some of them said they bought it for their Muslim friends in the USA while others took it as a souvenir. I hope you will tell me whether it is permissible to sell the Book of Allah to them or not. Answer me, may Allah benefit you.

A: It is not permissible to sell a Mus-haf (copy of the Qur'an) to Kafirs (disbelievers). It was authentically reported on the authority of `Abdullah ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) forbade traveling with (a copy of the) Qur’an to the land of the enemy. According to another narration, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: That is out of fear that the enemy will get hold of it [and tamper with it]. According to another narration, he (peace be upon him) said: I am afraid that it might fall into the hands of the enemy [and they tamper with it]. Al-Fadl ibn Ziyad said: "I asked Abu `Abdullah, meaning Imam Ahmad, about pawning a Mus-haf to Dhimmys (protected non-Muslims living under Islamic rule). He said: 'No, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) forbade traveling with (a copy of the) Qur’an to the land of the enemy, lest it should fall into their hands. '" Imam Al-Nawawy said: "Our companions said, 'Kafirs should not be prevented from hearing the Qur'an, but they should be prevented from touching it.'" As for teaching them the Qur'an, there are two opinions. The second of these opinions is that it is not lawful. Moreover, it is not permissible to sell a Mus-haf to them even if they are expected to embrace Islam. In his book Tarh Al-Tathrib, Imam Al-Nawawy stated that it is forbidden to sell a Mus-haf to Kafirs lest they should desecrate it. There is no difference among scholars over the prohibition of this. It is stated in Al-Mughny by Ibn Qudamah that it is not permissible to make it possible for the Kafirs to purchase a Mus-haf, books of Hadiths, or books of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). If this happens, (Part No. 3; Page No. 47) the purchase is invalid because it involves disparagement of the Qur'an.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.