Reference: http://mufti.af.org.sa/ar/content/حكم-القراءة-في-المصحف-من-غير-وضوء
Question: Is it permissible for a person to read from the Qur.aan (mus.haf) without wudhoo?
Response: It is imperative for the one who reads from the Qur.aan (mus.haf) to be in a state of wudhoo. So it is impermissible for the Muslim to read from the Qur.aan - even if he is a state of minority ritual impurity. That is because the Prophet ﷺ said in a letter he wrote to 'Amr ibn Hazam - as transmitted by Maalik in al-Muwatta, no.468 - that the Qur.aan should not be touched except by someone who is in a state of ritual purity (wudhoo). So it is not permissible for you to read from the Qur.aan unless you are in a state of ritual purity (wudhoo) - even if you are in a state of minor ritual impurity.
However, if you wanted to recite the Qur.aan from memory - and you were in a state of minor ritual impurity, then that is permissible for you to do because 'Ali رضي الله عنه said that the Prophet ﷺ used to have them read the Qur.aan so long as they were not in a state of major ritual impurity [transmitted by Abu Daawood no.229, at-Tirmidhee no.146 and an-Nasaa.ee no.265; graded da'eef by al-Albaanee]. So that indicates the permissibility of reading the Qur.aan without wudhoo for the one who is in a state of minor ritual impurity - so long as it is done from memory. As for reading from the Qur.aan, then it is imperative to be in a state of wudhoo.
