This is a case in which we ask you to render a decision, for the common people in the mosque have urged us to ask you, and they will be satisfied with your answer and will not accept any other words.
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The questioner : Finally, regarding the subject of the dispute, the honorableThe Shaykh : This is a case in which we ask you to render a decision, for the common people in the mosque have urged us to ask you, and they will be satisfied with your answer and will not accept any other words. The honorableThe Shaykh : They are suffering from a problem in the mosque, which is placing trash bins in front of the worshippers, as well as these tissues, even though people may feel disgusted by them and it may be offensive to people. What is your opinion and your advice? Is it permissible or not? Do you advise placing them there, even though some people may need them for a cold or something else?
The Shaykh : It combines two things that are different in reality: trash bins and what? Yes, boxes of tissues. There is a great difference between them. Trash bins contain filth, and some people may feel disgusted by it. If this filth were visible, it would be among the things prohibited to have in front of a person’s qiblah, such as sputum or saliva. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) once saw sputum on the wall and ordered the imam who had spit on the wall to scrape it off, because it is not fitting for people to be in front of Allah, and Allah the Exalted faces their faces, and then trash and filth are placed in front of them. Therefore, we advise that this bin be placed in the back. As for the tissues in their boxes, there is no filth in them; rather, they are clean, and people benefit from them. Having them in front of them rather than behind them allows them to avoid stepping over people’s shoulders if they need them. But I will ask a question: some people are satisfied with one tissue, yet you find them taking one, two, three, or four and filling their pockets. Is this permissible? No, it is not permissible, because the purpose of these tissues is to benefit from them, so the benefit should be according to need. Filling your pockets that day and the next is not right. Leave them for those who need them. Yes.
The questioner : We ask Allah the Exalted to bless our Shaykh, to prolong his life in obedience to Him, and to protect him with His protection in his position and in his going and coming. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon His servant and Messenger Muhammad.
The Shaykh : It combines two things that are different in reality: trash bins and what? Yes, boxes of tissues. There is a great difference between them. Trash bins contain filth, and some people may feel disgusted by it. If this filth were visible, it would be among the things prohibited to have in front of a person’s qiblah, such as sputum or saliva. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) once saw sputum on the wall and ordered the imam who had spit on the wall to scrape it off, because it is not fitting for people to be in front of Allah, and Allah the Exalted faces their faces, and then trash and filth are placed in front of them. Therefore, we advise that this bin be placed in the back. As for the tissues in their boxes, there is no filth in them; rather, they are clean, and people benefit from them. Having them in front of them rather than behind them allows them to avoid stepping over people’s shoulders if they need them. But I will ask a question: some people are satisfied with one tissue, yet you find them taking one, two, three, or four and filling their pockets. Is this permissible? No, it is not permissible, because the purpose of these tissues is to benefit from them, so the benefit should be according to need. Filling your pockets that day and the next is not right. Leave them for those who need them. Yes.
The questioner : We ask Allah the Exalted to bless our Shaykh, to prolong his life in obedience to Him, and to protect him with His protection in his position and in his going and coming. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon His servant and Messenger Muhammad.