Q&A: Reading the Qur’an in the Bathroom
Reading the Qur’an in the Bathroom
Question
To the honor of our master, may he live long, Michael Sar Israel.
Recently I started using my time in the bathroom to study the Arabic language. This evening I sat down to read from the holy book, the “Qur’an” of the Muslims, in the bathroom, but in the middle of it I wondered whether this might be forbidden on account of the categorical imperative (just as I myself would feel bad if a Muslim were reading the Torah in the bathroom in order to learn Biblical Hebrew).
I await your response with eager anticipation, confident that it will be like cold water to a weary soul. Thank you 🙂
P.S. This question was written with hands washed with borax and aloe-vera soap, and after immersion with a blessing in the mikveh (though without invoking the Divine Name and Kingship), as is fitting for the honor of our holy master.
Answer
I understand the uncomfortable feeling, but I don’t see why one should be particular about this. Nobody knows about it, so nobody is hurt. And if someone does this with the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and nobody knows, then good health to him. It is no different from any other prohibition whose judgment is left to Heaven; if he isn’t concerned about it, then good health to him.