Question:
Respected Mufti Saheb, Assalamualaikum
There is a restaurant named Bismillah.
Their invoices, receipts and packaging material, plastic bags etc carries the name Bismillah. Obviously these items are handled by all and sundry and ultimately land up in the garbage bin. Is this offensive in terms of the Shari’ah?
Your urgent response will be appreciated.
Was-salaam
Answer:
Hazrat Mufti Rashid Ahmad (R.A.A.) has stated that it will not be permissible to print “Bismillah” in newspapers or on pamphlets due to the disrespect that would be shown to it. Similarly it would not be permissible to distribute plastics, packaging material etc. which carries the name Bismillah. We recommend they use an abbreviation of Bismillah, e.g. BML. (Ahsanul Fataawaa Vol. 8, Page 24).
And Allah Ta’ala knows best
Ebrahim bin Zainul Abedeen Backus
Attested to as correct by:
Mufti Muhammad Ashraf
Darul Iftaa
Jameah Mahmoodiyah
Springs
23 September 2004
08 Sha’baan 1425
This Q&A was indexed in 2012 from the website of Jameah Mahmoodiyah, South Africa. The original website no longer exists.