Search In Fatwa

Finding papers with Name of Allaah in the street

Question

salam alaykum.please sheikh,it is not uncommon to find some newspapers and products which on it the manufacturer write their address and this addres may contain a holy name such as Allah's name or prophet.after consumption they are disposed everywhere such as the street and dustbin.when i walk the street i do see these products.am i obliged to pick them despite the fact that they are many and do see them often.and i always have whisper that if i dont pick them i have commited kufr for leaving such in impure places.please help me out because i am overwhelm with whisper

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

Glorifying and revering the Names of Allaah, The Exalted, is an obligation upon Muslims; it is impermissible for a Muslim to disrespect the Names of his Lord.

Allaah, The Exalted, says (what means):

· {That [has been commanded], and whoever honors the sacred ordinances of Allaah - it is best for him in the sight of his Lord...} [Quran 22:30]

· {That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols of Allaah - indeed, it is from the piety of hearts} [Quran 22:32]

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, disliked mentioning the Name of Allaah while in a state of ritual impurity as related in the Hadeeth of Al-Muhaajir ibn Qunfuth  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him who came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, while he was urinating. He saluted him. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not return the salutation to him until he performed Wudhoo’ (ablution). He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, then apologized to him, saying: “I disliked mentioning Allaah except in the state of purification.” [Abu Daawood - Al-Albaani graded it Saheeh (sound)]

This is evidence for the keenness of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to show reverence and glorify the Name of Allaah. Therefore, we should show reverence to the Names of Allaah, The Exalted, and should not throw the papers that bear the Name of Allaah in the garbage. Instead, we should erase the Name of Allaah or burn the papers, whether those papers were ours or found thrown in the trash.

We advise the owners of companies not to disrespect the Name of Allaah, The Exalted. They should not include the Name of Allaah in the names of their establishments.

When someone sees scraps of paper on the ground and knows that they bear the Name of Allaah on them, it is incumbent on him to take them and bury them in a decent place, or shred them or burn them as clarified in Fatwa 85092.

However, he is not obliged to go through the papers to find out whether they bear the Name of Allaah or not because this constitutes a great hardship and this contradicts the Islamic Sharee'ah (that calls for easiness). Allaah, The Exalted, says (what means):

· {… Allaah does not intend to make difficulty for you...} [Quran 5:6]

· {… and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty...} [Quran 22:78]

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “The best of your religion is the easiest; verily, the best of your religion is the easiest.” [Ahmad and Al-Bukhari - Al-Albaani graded it Saheeh] He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also said: “The religion (of Islam) is ease. Whoever makes the religion too hard for himself will be overpowered, so direct yourselves to what is right, follow a middle course, and accept the good news of the reward for right action.” [Al-Bukhari]

Allaah Knows best.

Related Fatwa