Short answer
Yes. Reading or reciting the Quran lying down is permissible in the Hanafi school and the other schools, including from memory or on a phone in bed. Sitting up is better as a matter of respect, and when lying down you should keep your legs drawn up and covered, not stretched out towards the mushaf.
Reciting while lying on your side or back is permissible (mubah); al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya says there is no harm in it as long as the legs are drawn in. Sitting with good manners is mustahabb. Do not put the mushaf below your feet or on the bed where you might lean on it.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
Allah praises those "who remember Allah while standing or sitting or lying on their sides" (3:191). Aisha reported that the Prophet ﷺ would lean in her lap and recite the Quran, even while she was menstruating. So recitation is not limited to one posture, and the four schools agree it is allowed.
Good manners when lying down:
- Keep your legs bent or covered rather than stretched out towards the mushaf.
- Hold the mushaf above your chest, not on the mattress by your feet. A phone or tablet is easier.
- If you are sleepy, stop. The Prophet ﷺ advised a person who dozes off while praying or reciting to sleep, since he may not know what he is saying.
- Reading from memory in bed is a good way to revise, and many people recite al-Mulk and the last three surahs this way.
The same applies to sitting on a bed, a chair or a sofa, standing, or travelling in a car: all are allowed. Sitting facing the qibla with wudu is the most complete way, but it is a recommendation, not a condition. Touching the mushaf still needs wudu: see touching the Quran without wudu, and for the phone, reading on your phone. For bedtime recitation, see duas before sleeping.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Aal-i-Imraan 3:191
ٱلَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمًۭا وَقُعُودًۭا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَٰطِلًۭا سُبْحَٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ﴿١٩١﴾
Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
Remembrance, including recitation, is praised in every posture.
Sahih al-Bukhari 297
Sahih... كان يتكئ في حجري وأنا حائض ثم يقرأ القرآن ...
"Aisha said: He used to lean in my lap while I was menstruating and recite the Quran."
The Prophet recited while reclining.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, chapter on salah, tasbih and reciting the Quran. No harm in reciting while lying on one's side if the legs are drawn in.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.