Is it permissible for someone who does not fully memorize a verse to quote it by saying: "In the meaning of the verse..."?
It is not permissible to transmit anything from the Holy Quran by its meaning, unlike the noble Prophetic Hadith, which, according to the preponderant opinion, may be transmitted by its meaning. This is because the Quran is distinguished from Hadith by ten characteristics, one of which is that it is not permissible to transmit it by meaning. Rather, it must be recited with its exact words as Gabriel (peace be upon him) brought them down. The secret behind this is that the purpose of the Quran is to worship Allah through its words and its miraculous nature, both in its wording and its meanings. Therefore, no one can produce a word that takes its place, and beneath each of its words lie countless meanings that cannot be encompassed, so no one can substitute it with something that contains what it does.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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