We reviewed request no. 1871 for the year 2003 which includes the following:

    Is it permissible to read the Qur`an without making wudu` [ablution]?

    The inquirer seeks a clarification of the ruling.

    It is obligatory upon whoever wants to read from the Qur`an to purify himself from both minor and major ritual impurity because of the hadith narrated by Ali [may Allah be pleased with him] who said: "I saw the Prophet [pbuh] perform wudu`, recite some verses of the Qur`an and then say: 'This is how it should be for someone who is not in a state of ritual impurity, otherwise he should not to read a single verse of Qur`an."

    If a person reads the Qur`an from memory without touching it, then there is nothing wrong in this case.

    The above answers the question and Allah Almighty knows best.