Hanging Quranic art with care
A gentle guide to the courtesies many families observe when they bring verses of the Quran into the home.
For many Muslim households a verse on the wall is not decoration in the ordinary sense. It is a reminder, read in passing a dozen times a day, of something that matters. That is why people who hang Quranic art tend to think a little more carefully about where and how it goes.
This piece gathers the courtesies that are widely observed. It is not a ruling. Scholars have discussed the practice of hanging verses for a long time, and views differ: some permit it with care, others discourage it altogether. If you are unsure, the best person to ask is a scholar or imam you trust. What follows is simply common practice, offered for those who have decided to bring a verse into their home.
About the Ayat collection
Ayat is a set of twenty prints, each built around a single passage of the Quran. The Arabic is the Uthmani text published by the King Fahd Glorious Quran Printing Complex in Madinah, set in Amiri Quran, a typeface designed for Quranic text. Every print shows its verse reference, such as Al-Baqarah 2:255, so that anyone reading it can find the passage in a mushaf and read it in context.
The collection runs in the order of the list below, beginning with the Basmalah and Al-Fatihah and moving through verses many people already know by heart: Ayat al-Kursi, the four verses of Al-Ikhlas, and the promise in Ash-Sharh that with hardship comes ease.
Choosing the place
The guiding idea is dignity. A verse belongs somewhere clean, calm and respected. In practice, most families follow a few simple habits.
- Choose a main room: a sitting room, a hallway, a study or a bedroom are all common choices.
- Never hang verses in a bathroom or toilet, and avoid walls that face directly into one.
- Hang the print at or above eye level, not at floor level or low on a wall where it might be brushed past, knocked or leaned against.
- Keep it away from places where it will be splashed or soiled, such as directly behind a hob or sink.
- Avoid putting it where it is likely to be covered with coats, bags or clutter.
Some families also keep verses in rooms where conversation tends to be gentle, and move a print if a space changes use. None of this needs to be anxious. It is the same instinct that makes people keep a mushaf on a high shelf rather than on the floor.
Matching the verse to the room
Many people like to choose a verse with the room in mind. Increase Me in Knowledge, from Ta-Ha 20:114, is a natural fit above a desk or a child’s bookshelf. Affection and Mercy, from Ar-Rum 30:21, speaks of the bond between spouses and is often chosen for a shared room. For My Parents, the prayer from Al-Isra’ 17:24, sits well in a family space or as a gift for a parent’s home.
A verse on the wall is a reminder, read in passing many times a day.
Printing and handling
Treat the print itself with the same care. Print it on good paper so it will last, and handle it with clean hands. A frame with glass or acrylic keeps the sheet clean and flat, and it means the verse is not touched when the wall is dusted. Let the ink dry fully before framing, and carry the print face up rather than rolled tightly or folded.
Check that the whole verse is visible inside the mount or frame. Each Ayat print is designed with generous margins so the text and reference are never cropped, but if you trim a sheet by hand, leave the border intact.
When a print is worn or damaged
Paper fades and frames break. If a print is damaged or you are replacing it, do not throw it away with household rubbish. Customs for disposing of pages bearing Quranic text respectfully vary, so ask your local mosque what they recommend. Many mosques are happy to help.
Sharing the verses
The Ayat prints are free for personal use. If a friend would like one, the kindest thing is to send them the link so they can download a fresh copy at full quality, rather than forwarding the file. That way every print in every home starts from the correct text.
The full list, in order, is: The Basmalah, Al-Fatihah, Al-Ikhlas, Ayat al-Kursi, With Hardship, Ease, Its Capacity, Hearts at Rest, Sufficient for Us, Whoever Relies, Increase Me in Knowledge, Light of the Heavens, I Am Near, Do Not Despair, Affection and Mercy, Comfort to Our Eyes, For My Parents, With You Wherever You Are, Remember Me, You Will Be Satisfied, and Which of the Favours.