The Qur’an is the Word of Allah. It is the most sacred book. Muslims must respect and honor this book. Our outward postures reflect our inner feelings of love, devotion, reverence, and submission to the Words of our Lord.
Sheikh Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid a prominent Saudi Muslim lecturer and author, states: “No Muslim doubts that it is obligatory to respect the Book of Allah, and the scholars are agreed that the one who deliberately mishandles it is a kafir (unbeliever).
At the same time, Allah says that there is no sin on one who is ignorant, forgetful, or who makes a mistake. Allah describes the believers as saying what means: “Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error” (Al-Baqarah: 286)
Whoever has no free will in a matter, such as one who is forced to do something or who is asleep, is not sinning if he says or does something that goes against Islam.
In this case, Muslims have not done anything that goes against Islam. If when the Qur’an fell, it was not by any deliberate action on their part, so they have not fallen short in respecting it. Although Islam tells us that we must repent from our sins and give them up, at the same time it warns us against falling prey to waswas (insinuating whispers of Satan) and despairing of the forgiveness and mercy of Allah.
Based on the above, if the Qur’an slips unintentionally from our hands onto the floor, we have to pick it up instantly, remove whatever dust may have attached to it, resume our reading, or put the Qur’an in its normal place. Also we should be sure that Allah will accept our repentance and grant us forgiveness as long as we repent sincerely.