How should pages with Allah’s name, Prophet’s name, and Quranic verses be disposed of?

Al-jawab billahi at-taufeeq (the answer with Allah’s guidance)

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman came to Uthman at the time when the people of Sham and the people of Iraq were Waging war to conquer Arminya and Azarbijan. Hudhaifa was afraid of their (the people of Sham and Iraq) differences in the recitation of the Qur’an, so he said to ‘Uthman, “O chief of the Believers! Save this nation before they differ about the Book (Quran) as Jews and the Christians did before.” So ‘Uthman sent a message to Hafsa saying, “Send us the manuscripts of the Qur’an so that we may compile the Qur’anic materials in perfect copies and return the manuscripts to you.” Hafsa sent it to ‘Uthman. ‘Uthman then ordered Zaid bin Thabit, ‘Abdullah bin Zubair, Said bin Al-Aas and ‘Abdur Rahman bin Harith bin Hisham to rewrite the manuscripts in perfect copies.

‘Uthman said to the three Quraishi men, “In case you disagree with Zaid bin Thabit on any point in the Qur’an, then write it in the dialect of Quraish, the Qur’an was revealed in their tongue.” They did so, and when they had written many copies, ‘Uthman returned the original manuscripts to Hafsa. ‘Uthman sent to every Muslim province one copy of what they had copied, and ordered that all the other Qur’anic materials, whether written in fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies, be burnt. Zaid bin Thabit added, “A Verse from Surat Ahzab was missed by me when we copied the Qur’an and I used to hear Allah’s Apostle reciting it. So we searched for it and found it with Khuzaima bin Thabit Al-Ansari. (That Verse was): ‘Among the Believers are men who have been true in their covenant with Allah.’ (33.23)

(Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 61)

The action of Uthman (RadhiyAllahu Anhu) was accepted by Ijma (consensus) of the Sahabah.

Zaid ibn Thabit (RadhiyAllahu Anhu) is reported to have said: “I saw the Companions of Muhammad (going about) saying, ‘By God, Uthman has done well! By God, Uthman has done well!”

Another esteemed Companion Mus’ab ibn Sad ibn Abi Waqqas (RadhiyAllahu Anhu) said: “I saw the people assemble in large number at Uthman’s burning of the prescribed copies (of the Quran), and they were all pleased with his action; not a one spoke out against him”.

Ali ibn Abu Talib (RadhiyAllahu Anhu), the cousin of the Prophet and the fourth successor to the Prophet commented: “If I were in command in place of Uthman, I would have done the same”. (Al Burhan Fi Ulumil Quran)

Can one burn old and torn copies of the Quran:

According to the Hanafi Fuqahaa (jurists) they have given the preference to burying them in a safe place or casting them into a flowing river by tying it with something heavy.

Some scholars say that it is permissible to burn such copies or pages of the Quran which are old, torn and no longer being used. Their evidence is the above Hadith.

Some scholars and commentators of Hadith have explained that the burnt copies had interpretations added to them, they were not in the dialect of the Quraishi and the recitations were rare and unusual. The benefit for burning these copies was to prevent the differences.” (‘Umdatul Qari Vol.20 Pg.18)

Sheikh Anwar (Rahmatullahi Alaih) says: To scorch the copies of the Quran in this case is permissible because this is to prevent the differences. (Faidhul Bari Vol.4 Pg.264)

However, such differences will not occur now.

Also, respect and disrespect revolves around ‘Urf (custom) and to burn the Quran is extremely disrespectful according to ‘Urf (custom).

Conclusion: It will not be Haram to burn them but as a precautionary measure one should avoid burning them and bury them instead.

(Raddul Muhtar Vol.1 Pg. 119, Ahsanul Fataawa Vol.8 Pg.14-17, Fataawa Uthmani Vol.1 Pg.194)

(See also: Imdadul Fataawa Vol.4 Pg.54, Imdadul Ahkam Vol.1 Pg.137 and 157, Kifayatul Mufti Vol.1 Pg.117 and 119)

And Only Allah Ta’ala Knows Best.

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Moulana Qamruz Zaman
London, UK