He was asked:

“Is the physical copy the Quran itself, or its written form? And is what is in the hearts of the reciters the Quran itself, or their memorization of it?”

He answered:

One must use the expressions used in the Book and the Sunnah, as in the words of Allah Most High:

“Rather, it is a glorious Quran, in a Preserved Tablet.”

And His words:

“Indeed, it is a noble Quran, in a protected Book, which none touch except the purified.”

And His words:

“By the Mount, and by a Book inscribed on parchment spread open.”

And His words:

“Reciting purified pages containing upright writings.”

And the words of Allah Most High:

“No indeed! It is a reminder—so whoever wills may heed it—in honored pages, exalted and purified, in the hands of scribes, noble and righteous.”

Likewise, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“The Quran must not be taken on a journey into enemy territory.”

And he said:

“Keep refreshing your memory of the Quran, for it escapes from people’s hearts more readily than camels escape their tethers.”

Both reports are in the two Sahih collections. He also said:

“A heart containing nothing of the Quran is like a ruined house.”

Al-Tirmidhī said: “An authentic hadith.”