Short answer
Not in the Hanafi school. According to Imam Abu Hanifa, whose view is the fatwa, reading the Quran from a mushaf, phone or tablet during the prayer breaks it, even in taraweeh or nafl. Recite what you have memorised instead. The Shafi'i school allows reading from a mushaf in prayer, and the Maliki and Hanbali schools allow it in voluntary prayers.
Reading from a written or digital copy of the Quran during salah invalidates the prayer according to Abu Hanifa, because it is learning from outside the prayer and involves repeated action. His students Abu Yusuf and Muhammad held it valid but makruh. The fatwa is on Abu Hanifa's view, for imam and follower alike, so a follower holding a mushaf to check the imam also breaks his prayer.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Reading from a mushaf in prayer is permissible, fard or nafl, as long as the page-turning does not amount to much continuous movement.
- Maliki
- Disliked in the fard prayer; allowed in voluntary prayers such as qiyam in Ramadan.
- Hanbali
- Permissible in voluntary prayers; in the fard there are two reports, and many Hanbali scholars dislike it there.
Explanation
This question comes up most in Ramadan, when people want to pray long taraweeh or tahajjud but have memorised little, and when imams use tablets. The Prophet ﷺ said that in prayer there is an occupation, meaning the prayer demands full attention to itself. Abu Hanifa reasoned that taking the recitation from a page or screen is learning from outside the prayer and needs repeated looking and turning, so it breaks the prayer. Al-Bukhari mentions, without a full chain, that Aisha was led in prayer by her freed slave Dhakwan reading from the mushaf; the other schools rely on this.
For Hanafis this means:
- Imam: must recite from memory. If he cannot recite long passages, he leads with the short surahs he knows. This is better than reading from a screen.
- Follower: do not hold a mushaf or phone to follow along; listen.
- Praying alone: recite what you know, even if it is a few short surahs repeated. The reward is not lessened.
- Glancing at a page without reading from it, or a page in view that you do not use, does not break the prayer, though it is better to remove distractions.
Other good options: read the Quran from the mushaf before or after the prayer, or between sets of taraweeh. Use a memorisation plan, such as our hifz planner, to build up your recitation over time.
If you have followed another school's view in the past, your earlier prayers are a matter to ask a scholar about. See which surah to recite in salah and what breaks your salah.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Muzzammil 73:20
۞ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَىِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُۥ وَثُلُثَهُۥ وَطَآئِفَةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَكَ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ ٱلْقُرْءَانِ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرْضَىٰ ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ ۚ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًۭا ۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا۟ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍۢ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًۭا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًۭا ۚ وَٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۢ ﴿٢٠﴾
Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muhammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you. And Allah determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur'an. He has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allah and others fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakah and loan Allah a goodly loan. And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
Recite what is easy for you in the night prayer; there is no need for long passages beyond your memory.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1199
Sahih... فلم يرد علينا وقال إن في الصلاة شغلا ...
"He did not return our greeting and said: in prayer there is an occupation."
The prayer requires full attention to itself, the basis of the Hanafi caution.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Salah, chapter on what invalidates the prayer. If he recites from the mushaf, the prayer is void according to Abu Hanifa; the two students hold it valid but disliked.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Salah, chapter on what invalidates the prayer. The fatwa follows Abu Hanifa; the ruling applies to reading from any written copy.
- al-Majmu' (Nawawi), Kitab al-Salah, chapter on what invalidates the prayer. Reading from a mushaf does not invalidate the prayer.
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.