Short answer
If it happens by accident, there is no sin and no set kaffarah. Pick it up at once, and many people say astaghfirullah and kiss it out of respect. Repair a torn page with tape if it can be read, and dispose of it respectfully if it cannot.
Dropping or tearing the mushaf by mistake is not a sin, since mistakes are forgiven. No expiation is required by the Shariah. Being careless with it out of habit is disrespectful, and doing it on purpose to insult it is disbelief.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
Accidents happen: a Quran slips off a stand, a child pulls it down, a page tears in a bag. The Prophet ﷺ taught that Allah has forgiven this ummah its mistakes, what it forgets and what it is forced to do. So an accidental drop is not a sin, and the four schools agree on this.
What to do:
- Pick it up straight away and put it in a clean, raised place.
- Say astaghfirullah (I seek Allah's forgiveness) if you like. Many people also kiss the mushaf. This is a way of showing respect and is allowed, but it is not required.
- You do not have to give sadaqah equal to the weight of the Quran in grain. That is a custom, not a ruling. Giving charity voluntarily is still good.
- If a page is torn but readable, mend it with clear tape or have the copy rebound.
- If pages are missing or unreadable, see how to dispose of an old Quran.
Preventing it. Keep the mushaf on a shelf above the floor, use a rehal (book stand) when reading, and do not leave it where people sit or put their feet. See can you put the Quran on the floor and the etiquette of reading the Quran.
If you worry a great deal after every small slip, remember that respect lives in the heart. Allah looks at your intention. Excessive worry of this kind is a form of waswasa (intrusive doubts), and the cure is to follow the simple ruling and move on.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Hajj 22:32
ذَٰلِكَ وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَٰٓئِرَ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقْوَى ٱلْقُلُوبِ ﴿٣٢﴾
That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols of Allah - indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.
Showing respect to the Quran comes from taqwa in the heart.
Sunan Ibn Majah 2045
Graded sahih... إن الله وضع عن أمتي الخطأ والنسيان وما استكرهوا عليه ...
"Allah has pardoned my ummah for mistakes, forgetfulness and what they are forced to do."
An accidental drop or tear carries no sin.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, chapter on reciting the Quran and respecting the mushaf. On keeping the mushaf in a raised place and the disrespect of careless handling.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Hazr wa al-Ibaha, discussion of honouring the mushaf. Mentions kissing the mushaf as permitted out of respect.
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.