Chapter: The Prohibition of Traveling with a Mushaf to Non-Muslim Lands When One Fears It May Fall into Enemy Hands

1794 – Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade taking the Quran on a journey to the territory of the enemy. Agreed upon.

[Explanation]
The author—may Allah have mercy on him—cites these two chapters in his book Riyad al-Salihin. The first concerns the prohibition of carrying a mushaf (a physical copy of the Quran) when traveling to the lands of the unbelievers, meaning that a Muslim is not permitted to do so if there is a real possibility that it will fall into their hands. Should that happen, they might belittle or degrade it, and the Quran is far too noble to be subjected to such abuse.

For this reason, ʿAbdullah b. ʿUmar—may Allah be pleased with them both—related that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade traveling with the mushaf to enemy territory.

As the author points out, this ruling applies when such a risk is genuinely feared. If, however, no such fear exists—as is often the case in our own era—then there is no objection. A person who travels to a non-Muslim country for commerce or study may therefore take a mushaf with him, and he incurs no sin thereby.

Yet it must be remembered that staying for an extended period in non-Muslim lands for study or similar pursuits is permissible only when three conditions are met. The first is that one possess sufficient knowledge to repel any doubts, and that