Can I read Quran without wudhu and lying down on the bed?

A Brief Description of the Question: 

Salam brother, can I read the Qur'an without wudhu and lying down on the bed like in a resting sleep position? I read the Qur'an on my mobile phone.. and I usually read the translation, so is reading translation permissible in that position and without wudhu? And can I read Arabic too?

The Answer: 

Without ablution (wudu), one can recite or read the Qur’an without touching it. However, one can read the Qur’an and its interpretation on the mobile phone without ablution.
It was among Our Prophet’s (peace be upon him) continuous practices to pray before going to bed and to recite the verses of praying such as the chapters of Ikhlas, Falaq and Nas. There are many hadiths regarding the issue in the hadith books. 

For instance, Hazrath Aisha narrates what Our Prophet (pbuh) used to do before going to bed as follows: 

“The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to put his palms together, blow upon them and then recite “qul huwallahu ahad”, “qul audhu bi rabbil falaq”, “qul audu bi rabbin nas”, after that rub his whole body with his palms beginning from his head and face to wherever he could touch. He used to repeat that that action three times.” (1) 

Bara bin Adhib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated a hadith from Our Prophet (pbuh) as follows:
“When you go to bed, perform ablution as if you will perform prayers, then lie on your right side and pray as follows: ‘O Allah, I surrendered my soul to You. And I assigned my tasks to You. Since I love you and I fear You, I leant my back against You. I take refuge only in You. I believed in the Book You revealed and the Messenger You sent.’ If you die that night, you die as a Muslim and as a believer. The last words you say should be as I stated.” (2) 

As it is seen from both hadiths, these prayers are recited after going to bed. In the first hadith, when Our Prophet is told to rub his blessed body by reciting the chapters of prayers while sitting. In the other hadith, it is understood that after lying in bed, he used to recite them. Therefore, it is permissible to recite both before lying, and after lying in bed. 

In the book “al-Fatawa’l-Hindiyya”, the following sentences regarding the issue are written: “There is no drawback in lying on one’s side when reciting the Qur’an. However, in the meantime, one should stretch his/her legs but should bend them. There is no drawback in reciting a chapter or a verse from the Qur’an, either. However, in the meantime, one should not cover his/her head with the blanket. The blanket takes the place of the dress. If it is not applied as mentioned, it is not permissible to recite it.” (3)

Footnotes:
(1). Tirmizi, Dua: 21.
(2). Muslim, Zikr: 56.
(3). Al-Fatawa’l-Hindiyya, 5: 316.

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