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27,40711/08/2003

Throwing away papers on which is one of the names of Allah

Question: 39376

My name is ‘Abd al-Qaadir and in many dealings with government departments for example, I have to write my name when submitting applications etc. Then after that they may throw this application in the trash. Do I bear any responsibility in that?.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

There is nothing wrong with you writing your name on papers and forms that you need to submit to others and there is no sin on you. Rather the sin is on the one who throws these papers into the trash, because that is showing disrespect towards the name of Allah. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: is it permissible to write the Basmalah (“Bismillaah ir-Rahmaan ir-Raheem – in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious the Most Merciful”) on wedding invitations, knowing that they will be thrown away after that, on the street or in trashcans?  

He replied: 

It is prescribed to write the Basmalah on invitations and other kinds of letters, because it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Every matter of concern that is not started in the name of Allah is bereft of barakah (blessing).” And because he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to start his letters by mentioning the name of Allah. It is not permissible for the one who receives an invitation which contains the name of Allah or a verse of the Quran to throw it in the trash or to put it in an inappropriate place. It is not permissible to handle [Arabic-language] newspapers etc with disrespect or to throw them in the trash, or to use them as tablecloths or to wrap things in them, because they contain mention of Allah. The sin is on the one who does that, but there is no sin on the writer. 

Majmoo’ Fatawa al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baz, 5/427, 2nd edn. 

And Allah knows best.

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