May verses of the Holy Qur’an be used as amulets or as protection on the wall?

Not as a magic charm. The verses of the Holy Qur’an protect us when we understand them, love them and live by them, not when we hang them around our neck or on the wall.

In some homes verses hang on the wall to keep away thieves or evil spirits. Others wear an amulet with a verse around their neck. But the Holy Qur’an is not a magic spell. It was revealed so that people would reflect on its verses and be guided by them, as the first verse above says.

Originally the custom often had a good intention. In places where many people could not read and no translation existed yet, pious teachers used such verses to awaken reverence. Someone who knew they were carrying a verse would be more careful to avoid wrongdoing. Over time, however, it turned into the opposite. Today many believe the piece of paper itself brings protection, no matter how they live. That is superstition.

Something similar happened with the second hadith above. Many simply recite the verses mechanically without asking what they mean. Yet what is meant is to read them attentively and understand them. If you know where a danger comes from, you can protect yourself from it. If you do not know, you are at its mercy.

An old story tells of a father who left his sons nothing but a piece of land. He told them a treasure was buried in it. The sons dug up the whole field and found nothing. Then they sowed it, and the harvest was so rich that they became wealthy. The treasure lay in their own labour. It is the same with the Holy Qur’an. Its blessings open up to those who make the effort.

The first hadith above shows which attitude God loves. A Muslim trusts in his Lord, not in amulets. The best protection is to know the verses, to love them and to act on them.