Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
Prophet Ayyub (Blessings and peace be upon him) is called Prophet Job in English. Is the word “job” considered holy if I say, “I am doing this job?” Similarly, I consider the word “Ali” holy as Al-Ali is one of Allah’s beautiful names) Is this OCD? Should I be respecting them if they are written on paper?
Answer
If you come across the word “job”, in the way you described it above, you don’t need to consider it holy, and you can normally dispose of any paper with that written on it.
If you come across the word “Ali” written in English, you may also dispose of it normally because a person’s name is being indicated, not the name of Allah.
Generally speaking, you should dispose of papers Islamically if they contain the name of Allah in Arabic or a verse of the Quran in Arabic. These can be shredded, cut up, or burnt.
May Allah reward you for being cautionary.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.