Disposing of Harmful Literature

[jawaad]

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
wa Sall Allahu Ta'ala 'ala Khayri Khalqillah wa 'ala Aalihi wa sallam

as salaamu 'alaikum

I have some literature with Blessed Aayat and Ahadith ash-Sharif but they promote wrong beliefs. In what way can I dispose of them?

Secondly, what about for material such as a huge amount of leaflets promoting events that ended a long time ago or papers, etc., but have Blessed Aayat or Ahadith ash-Sharif on them i.e. they are not harmful, but I'm travelling/moving and it may not be feasible to take them with me.

Jazaak Allah khair

Jawad

[Imam]

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem.

Wa'alaykum 'Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu



Praise be to Allah who is the Lord of the Worlds, and may Endless Blessings be showered upon His Most Beloved Messenger, the Final Prophet of Islam (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam).


Jazak'Allah for your question brother. All the literature, which contain verses of the Noble Qur'an, and Ahadith-e-Mubarikah, especially if they have been written in Arabic, should never be thrown in the dustbin, nor should it be misplaced onto the floor, nor be misused as a floor covering etc.


To have the precaution that Islam carries, one should carefully gather such literature, place it into a box, where it should be kept safe. Once it is kept safe, then your intention of disposing of them, should contain the following methods:


1) To bury the literature, which has Arabic Urdu transcripts written on them, in a place where you know that no-one shall ever dig them out. For example, in the countryside, or in a moor. As long as the literature has been buried a few feet deep, this will suffice, for the proper method of it's disposal.


2) To tie the literature to a weight, for example a brick, or to place the literature in a bag, and then to place a weight, on/in the bag, and then to drop it in a place where water flows naturally. For example a river or a lake. This method will enable the writings on the paper to deteriorate, and diminish, and hopefully the paper also, which was once used in a respectable religious manner.


3) The third method is the least preferred, but nevertheless is a substitute for the above two mentioned methods. This method should not be used unless the other two methods mentioned above cannot be put into practice. This method entails the burning of material, which is no longer required, and is found to being misused or dishonoured.


Many people encounter this material in their houses, as you are, especially when they want to move house. Alternatively, your local masjid may provide days when such items are to be collected, or other organisations may have specific days when such material can be collected. It is best to delegate this responsibility to those who are the collectors, as they may have expert knowledge of it's disposal.


I hope that I have managed to help you in the least way possible that I can, and may Allah the Almighty help us all to dispose of religious materials in the best way possible. May He keep us at bay from dishonouring any of His works in any way, and may we learn to respect the Books of Islam, in their proper manner.



Wallahu A'lamu Biththawaab



M. Waseem Ashrafi