Answered by Mufti Mohammed Zubair Butt

Question:

I.M.W.S. Is a community based organization for the community and provides various
services for the community. In the past we have purchased burial grounds in the local
cemetery and used it for the burying of old religious articles, Qurans, Paras, Magazines,
etc. This is very costly and inadequate for such a large community, buying one plot will
cost approximately 750. In the past we have bought two plots at a time which in a matter
of hours were filled and dozens of bags left. This is due to the fact we work closely with
several Masjids and Madressas.

We as an organization for the community are looking into buying an incinerator which we
can use to burn the Holy Scriptures in and then bury the remaining ashes. Our queries are
as follows:-
1. Is it permissible to burn and bury the Holy Quran?
2. Is it permissible to burn and bury Hadeeth?
3. Is it permissible to burn and bury religious articles which have the
Almighty Allahs and the Holy Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w.) names in
them?
Answer:

1. Firstly, it is important to bear in mind that as long as the Holy Quran is in a usable
state it is not permissible to dispose of it whatever the means employed. It is
permissible to dispose of the Holy Quran only when it has become extremely worn
and has deteriorated to the level that it is no longer usable, provided that the method
of disposal is consistent with due reverence and respect.
It is a clear symptom of the ignorance and the degeneration in respect of even
Muslims today that it is now not unusual to find that many members of the Muslim
community will seek to replace their old copy of the Holy Quran with a new copy,
when in fact the old copy is very much in a useable state. The old copy is then
considered obsolete and in need of disposal. This is not at all permissible, but rather,
it is a practice that must be rectified. If Muslim community leaders highlight this
within their community, not only will this be a positive step in the promotion of due
reverence, it will also greatly reduce the number of Holy Qurans in need of disposal.
However, in the instance when the Holy Quran does become extremely worn and has
deteriorated to the level that it is no longer usable, it should be disposed of with the
utmost respect. The preferred method is to arrange for its respectful burial. As a
community organisation that provides such a service, IMWS should explore the
possibility of a designated burial site for Islamic literature, besides cemeteries, which
will also not incur the prohibitive costs of cemetery burial plots. It may be possible to
negotiate such sites with the local council or raise funds for such ventures from the
Muslim community.
Alternatively, where possible, such unusable Qurans may be weighed down and sunk
in deep running water.
There is a difference of opinion with regards to the permissibility or otherwise of
burning the Holy Quran when it has become extremely worn and has deteriorated to
the level that it is no longer usable. Those who consider it to be permissible cite the
action of 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) who ordered the burning of all
variant dialects of the Quran to that of the Quraysh. ['Uthman (may Allah be pleased
with him) did so in order to quell the disputes that had begun to arise amongst
speakers of the different dialects. The Quran was transcribed into the original
Qurayshi dialect and then distributed as the standard text.] They also contend that
burning the Holy Quran also ends the possibility of any form of denigration in the
future. Those who consider it to be impermissible contend that burning the Holy
Quran is a form of denigration. Imam Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on him)
has indicated that this is the Hanafi position. In answer to the actions of 'Uthman
(may Allah be pleased with him) they explain that 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased
with him) burnt only those scriptures that were established to be not of the Holy
Quran, or that were indistinguishable from the Holy Quran. Furthermore, the only
possible way to rid the Muslims of their disputes was to take the drastic course of
action that 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) did. The Muslims of the time
saw this need and approved of his actions. In fact, Ali (may Allah be pleased with
him) positively forbade anyone to say anything but good about Uthman (may Allah
be pleased with him) in this matter.
Therefore, the idea of burning unusable copies of the Holy Quran using an
incinerator should not be easily entertained as this carries with it connotations of
disrespect. If Muslim communities readily resort to such measures, it can quite easily
become a license for those who wantonly desecrate Islamic literature.
However, if after educating the community and exhausting all possibilities of
respectful disposal through burial etc, the needs of the community can still not be
met, a via media could possibly be to remove the inscription of the Holy Quran using
suitable solvents and then burn the remaining papers using an incinerator. It is still
better to then bury the ashes.
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2. The preferred option is burial followed by disposal in deep flowing water as
mentioned in no.1. However if the names of Allah, His Angels and Messengers are
removed, the rest may be burned.

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3. As no. 2.