Disposal of "old" Qurans and religious materials

[Hafeez]

Assalamu 'Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

A brother informed me that there are ways in which you can dispose of "old" Quran-e-pak and religious literature. He also informed me that one way was to "throw" it into a river?

Is this method correct, please clear up my confusion by informing me of what methods are permissible when you want to dispose of things.

Jazakallah

[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, and Final Messenger of Islam, Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam


Jazakallah for your valued question. When the Qur'an al kareem becomes extremely old or becomes ripped and is made shahid, or qa'idahs with Arabic wording, and the names of Allah, the Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem, or the names of the Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, or other religious materials, then it is haram for them to be disposed where other things are disposed.


Firstly, because of the sanctity of such material, as the wording maybe recognisable, although the essence of it belongs to Allah the Almighty, in the form of His speech. Such materials must be buried underground, deep, where no person can ever dig them out.


This is the preferred method of the treatment of such materials, but some scholars have said that they maybe put under water, which shall help them to deteriorate over a period of time. But this does not mean that you can 'throw' them into a river, or a canal, or any other place which has water therein.


As there is a method for the disposal of human bodies, so there is also a method of the disposal of shahid literature or Qur'ans'. There are special people within the community, who know how to dispose of these, just as there is people who know how to shroud and bathe a dead body. This duty should not be confined to any one and every one, simply because of the fact that you find out that a certain act takes place. It is best left for those who know how to take up the process, and it is not a duty for everyone.


If you contact your local Mosque, they will tell you how to process these and on what days. From then on, it is left for the specialists to take great care and precaution, in disposing of these materials.


May Allah the Almighty give us all the tawfiq to recognise the sanctity of His works, whether they are in the form of a Qur'an al kareem, or other literature. (Amin)


Wallahu A'lamu Biththawaab


M. Waseem Ashrafi