What is the ruling on Selling and Hanging Portraits that Contain Qur’anic Ayat?

All praise be to Allah. This issue has become widespread among people in many ways, including: cards bearing (the word) “Allah” and the other card next to them bearing “Muhammad.” Then, the two cards are placed parallel on the wall, on a portrait, or something similar. And firstly we are talking about this picture: What is the benefit of hanging the word “Allah” only and “Muhammad” only? If a person thinks that he will gain/benefit a blessing from that, verily blessings are not gained with such an action; as this is not a useful sentence that provides meaning that can be interpreted as seeking blessings. Moreover, seeking blessings in this way is not justified. That’s because seeking blessings from Allah and by His names can only be used in the manner that was reported (i.e., in the Qur’an and Sunnah), because it is an act of worship and acts of worship are based on tawqeef (i.e., restricted to what has been reported in the Qur’an and Sunnah only). Also this positioning that we referred to earlier - to put the word “Allah” and next to it the word “Muhammad” parallel to it - this is a type of associating and equating between Allah and the Messenger ﷺ, and this is not permissible. A man said to the Prophet ﷺ: “Whatever Allah wills and you will.” So, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Have you made me an equal to Allah?! Rather, it is what Allah wills alone.” Moreover, seeking blessings just by putting the name of the Prophet ﷺ is also not permissible. Tabarruk (seeking blessings and bountifulness) is only done by adhering to the Shar’iah (Islamic legislation) of the Prophet ﷺ and acting upon it. This is a picture of what people use in these cards, and it has been clarified that they are contrary to the Shari’ah. As for the second picture that the brother who asked the question referred to: to say that it is permissible, is not correct. That’s because the basic ruling of writing the Qur’an on papers and tablets (pieces of plank) is that it is permissible. However, hanging it on the wall at home was not reported by the Salaf-us-Salih (righteous predecessors), may Allah have mercy on them, the Prophet ﷺ, his Sahabah (companions), or the Tabi’in (the generation after the Sahabah). And I do not know when exactly this Bid’ah (innovation within religion) occurred. It is, in fact, a Bid’ah, because the Qur’an was revealed to be recited and not to be hung on walls and other things. Also, in hanging it on walls there is an extra (type) of corruption on top of it not being reported from the Salaf. This corruption is that the person will rely on this hanged thing, believing that it is a protection for him. So, he will be content with it and will abandon the real protection, which is the recital (of the Qur’an) with one’s tongue. For it is the beneficial protection, as the Prophet ﷺ said about Ayat al-Kursi: “Whoever recites it at night, will have a guard from Allah, and no devil will approach him until morning.” So, if a person feels that hanging these Ayat on the walls will protect him, he will feel that he doesn’t need to recite the Qur’an. Moreover, in this (way) there is a type of taking the Ayat of Allah lightly/mockingly. That’s because gatherings are often not free from forbidden sayings of backbiting, foul language, insulting, or forbidden actions. Also, there may be musical instruments which are forbidden by the Shari’ah (i.e., Islam) in these gatherings. So, these things are done while the Qur’an is hanging over people’s heads; it is as if they are in fact mocking it. That’s because this Qur’an forbids these things, whether the written Ayah is the Ayah that forbids these things, or another Ayah of the Qur’an. And this is, undoubtedly, a kind of mockery of the Ayat of Allah. Therefore, we advise our Muslim brothers to avoid using such things like hanging one of the Names of Allah, the Messenger ﷺ, or Ayat from the Qur’an, and to use what their Salaf (righteous predecessors) used, as all goodness and blessings/bountifulness are in that. As for the brother's question… Questioner: Before we come to the brother's question, you mentioned hanging the Noble Qur'an on the walls. It would be lovely if you pointed out the (issue of) people hanging the Noble Qur'an on themselves. Sheikh: ‌‏We will point to it after we are finished with this in sha’ Allah, I say: With regard to what the brother pointed out to, that these cards on which the Qur’an is written are thrown in markets and in trash cans and are being stepped on, this is also not permissible. That’s because it’s disrespectful towards the Noble Qur’an. However, the one who is responsible is the one who has it in his hands, yet if the vendors who sell them know that this is often done with them, then this leads to the prohibition of selling them. That’s due to the Islamic rule that if a contract is a necessary or predominant means to a forbidden thing, then that contract is prohibited. That’s because it is cooperating in sin and transgression, and I think that the answer to the question is done. As for hanging the Qur’an (as an amulet) on sick people, whether their sicknesses are physical or psychological in order to be cured by it, there are different views between the Salaf and the Khalaf (those who came after them): Some scholars allow this because of the psychological comfort that the patient feels, as he carries the Words of Allah the Exalted. And the patient’s feelings have an effect on the disease, in increasing it, decreasing it, and making it disappear, as it is well known. And some scholars said that it is not permissible, because it was not reported from the Prophet ﷺ that such a thing is used for healing. Rather healing is done by reciting what was reported (from the Prophet) on the sick person. So, if it wasn’t reported from Allah and His Messenger that this is a cause/means (for cure), then affirming it (i.e., as a cause/means for cure) is a type of Shirk. That is because it is not permissible to affirm that this is a cause/means (for cure) except with evidence from the Shari’ah (Qur’an and Sunnah). So, if we prove that it is a cause/means for cure, that means that we’ve innovated something new which is not from the Shari’ah, and this is a type of Shirk.