The Obligation of Reverence for the Name of Allah
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Fatwa No. ( 2779 ):
The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed what was sent to His Eminence, the President , from the questioner, the Minister of Health, Hussein al-Jazairi, and referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars with number 1455/2 on 15/7/1399 AH. The question is: This Ministry received a letter numbered 346/Kh on 16/6/1399 AH from the Director of the Islamic Awareness Department at the Ministry of Hajj
and Endowments, stating: The medical prescriptions have "In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful" written on every sheet. Since their fate is to be thrown away, and to protect and preserve the Name of Allah, the Director of the Islamic Awareness Department requests that the Ministry not write the Basmala on the medical prescription pads. In our opinion, this matter does not apply only to the medical prescriptions mentioned, but extends to all names of Allah, verses, and hadiths that appear in newspapers and magazines, which likewise end up in trash and waste. Similarly, all state publications have the Basmala at the top of every sheet. It is well known that these papers fall into the hands of children who play with them, and they are thrown in places whose purity is not guaranteed, let alone places of impurity. A medical prescription is much less likely to end up in the waste than newspapers and magazines, as the pharmacist keeps the prescription after dispensing it, and these prescriptions may be burned after the purpose of keeping them is fulfilled. However, we seek from Your Eminence the correct legal ruling to protect the names of our Lord, His Book, and the guidance of His Prophet, so that the ruling can serve as a general rule for benefit. If Your Eminence deems it appropriate, please publish it in the media to generalize its benefit.
The answer: Write (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) at the beginning of every page of the medical prescriptions; based on the evidence regarding the virtue
writing it. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to write it at the beginning of his letters. Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) issued a fatwa on the permissibility of writing it, the text of which is: "Writing 'In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' is prescribed at the beginning of books of knowledge and letters. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did so in his correspondence, and his successors and Companions after him continued to do so, and people have followed this practice to this day. Allah the Exalted encouraged it in the Qur'an, saying:[Al-Fath 48:26]. Al-Zuhri said: It is 'In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,' because the disbelievers used to acknowledge it. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) also encouraged writing it. Abd al-Qadir al-Rahawi narrated in [Al-Arba'in] from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah , traced to the Prophet: , and Al-Khatib narrated it in his Musnad in similar terms. It is obligatory to show reverence for anything containing 'In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,' or any part of the Qur'an or Sunnah; based on the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Hajj 22:30]. The sacred things are obeying His commands, including His obligations and recommended practices. Among what He has made obligatory is respecting His Book and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). 'In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' is part of a verse in the Qur'an in Surat al-Naml, by the consensus of scholars.
And He the Exalted said:[Al-Hajj 22:32]. The sacred rites are everything in which Allah the Exalted has a command that He has made known, including His Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Just as it is obligatory to show reverence for these, it is prescribed for a person to burn them if necessity calls for it, as Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) did, for he gathered the people on one copy of the Qur'an and burned the other copies. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) agreed with him, and this became a consensus among them. If one sees someone doing something that constitutes disrespect, it is obligatory to rebuke him; based on the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih Muslim 49a. We will do what is required in this regard, if Allah wills. As for the fact that some papers on which the Basmala is written may be thrown in some inappropriate places, there is no blame on the writer for that; rather, the sin lies with the one who threw it away or disrespected it. And success is from Allah. May Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed what was sent to His Eminence, the President , from the questioner, the Minister of Health, Hussein al-Jazairi, and referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars with number 1455/2 on 15/7/1399 AH. The question is: This Ministry received a letter numbered 346/Kh on 16/6/1399 AH from the Director of the Islamic Awareness Department at the Ministry of Hajj
and Endowments, stating: The medical prescriptions have "In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful" written on every sheet. Since their fate is to be thrown away, and to protect and preserve the Name of Allah, the Director of the Islamic Awareness Department requests that the Ministry not write the Basmala on the medical prescription pads. In our opinion, this matter does not apply only to the medical prescriptions mentioned, but extends to all names of Allah, verses, and hadiths that appear in newspapers and magazines, which likewise end up in trash and waste. Similarly, all state publications have the Basmala at the top of every sheet. It is well known that these papers fall into the hands of children who play with them, and they are thrown in places whose purity is not guaranteed, let alone places of impurity. A medical prescription is much less likely to end up in the waste than newspapers and magazines, as the pharmacist keeps the prescription after dispensing it, and these prescriptions may be burned after the purpose of keeping them is fulfilled. However, we seek from Your Eminence the correct legal ruling to protect the names of our Lord, His Book, and the guidance of His Prophet, so that the ruling can serve as a general rule for benefit. If Your Eminence deems it appropriate, please publish it in the media to generalize its benefit.
The answer: Write (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) at the beginning of every page of the medical prescriptions; based on the evidence regarding the virtue
writing it. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to write it at the beginning of his letters. Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) issued a fatwa on the permissibility of writing it, the text of which is: "Writing 'In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' is prescribed at the beginning of books of knowledge and letters. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did so in his correspondence, and his successors and Companions after him continued to do so, and people have followed this practice to this day. Allah the Exalted encouraged it in the Qur'an, saying:
imposed upon them the word of righteousness
وَأَلْزَمَهُمْ كَلِمَةَ التَّقْوَىEvery matter of importance that is not begun with 'In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' is incomplete
كل أمر ذي بال لا يبدأ فيه ببسم الله الرحمن الرحيم، فهو أقطعand whoever honors the sacred ordinances of Allah - it is best for him in the sight of his Lord
وَمَنْ يُعَظِّمْ حُرُمَاتِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِAnd He the Exalted said:
And whoever honors the symbols of Allah - indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.
وَمَنْ يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِHe who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do it, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he has not strength enough to do it, (even) then he should (abhor it) from his heart, and that is the least of faith.
من رأى منكم منكرًا فليغيره بيده، فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه، فإن لم يستطع فبقلبه، وذلك أضعف الإِيمان
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.