249. Moving Your Tongues Or Lips When Reading The Quran Or Salaah OR Dhikr Or Making Dua

By Asma bint Shameem 

QUESTION 

Do I have to “move” my tongue and lips when reading the Qur’aan or any dhikr, when making duaa or reading salaah?

ANSWER

When saying any duaa or dhikr, whether for wudhu or in Salaah or at any other time, or when reading the Qur’aan, we MUST MOVE our lips and tongue and not just ‘think’ about them in the head or ‘say’ them in our heart. 

PROOF 

The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:

“READ the Qur’aan, for it will come on the Day of Resurrection to intercede for its companions.” (Muslim).

Here the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam used the word “READ”. 

*He did not use the word “look”.*

Also the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

“The one who RECITES the Qur’aan while he is proficient in its recitation  will be with the honorable and obedient scribes (angels), and the one who recites the Qur’aan while it is difficult for him to recite will have a double reward." 

(al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

Obviously the words “recites with difficulty” means actually ATTEMPTING to READ the words. 

And it does not mean just “looking at the words without moving the lips and tongue”. 

Another proof:

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

“Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala will forgive my ummah for whatever crosses their minds so long as they do not act upon it or “speak” of it.” 

[al-Bukhaari (5269) and Muslim (127)]

This shows that in order for our thoughts to “count” we MUST SAY them by moving our lips and tongue. 

 The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam would say any dhikr or duaa or read Qur’aan or offer prayers by moving his lips and tongue. 

Also, the Sahaabah used to know that the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam was reading something or doing dhikr by seeing the MOVEMENT of his beard. 

That’s because his beard would move with the movement of his lips as he was verbalizing the words. 

And thus they understood what ‘reading’ the Qur’aan or “saying” a dhikr or duaa meant. 

So we see them practicing that by reciting the Qur’aan sometimes in a loud voice and sometimes in a low voice; and doing dhikr, and making duaa, always by MOVING the lips and tongue. 

Shaikh ibn Baaz said:

“There is nothing to prevent a person looking at the Qur’aan without reciting it, in order to ponder its meanings and understand it. 

But he is not considered to be “reading” the Qur’aan when he does that, and he does not earn the reward for *reading* it unless he pronounces (the words of) the Qur’aan, even if those around him do not hear him. 

And one cannot be counted as reading Qur’aan unless once actually pronounces it.”

( Majmoo’ Fataawa Wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah Li Samaahat - Vol. 8, P. 363)

The same goes for moving the lips and tongue when reading Salaah:

In fact, if someone offers his prayers and reads the Faatihah WITHOUT moving his lips and tongue then their prayer in INVALID!

That’s how SERIOUS this is.

Shaikh Assim al-Hakeem said:

“Whoever does not move his lips and tongue when offering their prayers, his prayer is invalid. 

And that’s the consensus of the scholars”

The scholars said:

“The recitation of al-Faatihah is obligatory in the prayer. 

During this recitation the person MUST *move his tongue and lips*, i.e. the sounds of letters must be uttered from their place of articulation and in their appropriate manner of articulation.

As for what the person has in his ‘mind’, it is not called recitation or reading. 

This rule applies also to the obligatory Dhikr in Salaah like Tashahhud and prayer on the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) in the last Raka'h. These two must also be uttered accordingly.” 

(Islamweb Fatwa # 84707)

That’s also the reason why when a person sneezes while using the bathroom, he cannot say ‘Alhamdulillaah’ aloud because it’s not allowed to use the Name of Allaah In the bathroom. 

So what are we supposed to do when we sneeze in the bathroom?

We should ‘say’ ‘Alhamdulillaah’ in the HEART, WITHOUT moving the lips and tongue.  

Imaam Ahmad said: 

“If a man sneezes (in the bathroom) he should praise Allaah in his *heart*.”

This shows that saying something in the *heart* does not count as actually ‘saying’ the words and thus it’s allowed to say Alhamdulillaah in the bathroom without moving the lips and tongue. 

It’s the actual “moving” of the lips and tongue that counts as “dhikr” or “recitation”.

And Allaah knows best