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Fatwa CenterHow to dispose of papers with any reference to Allaah Almighty
Question
As-salaamu 3laikum, I have thousands of papers and books from before I became Muslim that I have to throw out. I know that if we find a paper containing the name of Allah we must burn it or cut it up so the name is erased before disposing of the paper. My question is, does this apply to adjectives, pronouns and verbs referring to Allah as well (like subhanahu for example) and does it apply where the name of Allah has been translated as 'God'? I know that God is not one of the names of Allah but sometimes people, even Muslims, use this name, even when they are translating the Qur'an. What about if I find the name 'God' in a book by Christians who have a distorted idea of Allah, can I just leave it? Jazaak Allahu khair
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
If one of the Names or Attributes that are peculiar to Allaah is written on those papers, like the words ‘subhanahu wa ta'ala’, then it is an obligation to honor it and preserve it from being dishonored either by preserving it in a proper place or disposing of it in an appropriate manner, such as by burning it or the like as clarified in Fataawa 84055 and 87024.
This is whether those are written in Arabic or in another language, if it is known that what is meant by what is written is the Name of Allaah or one of His Attributes.
Ibn Hajar 
said in his Fataawa: “It is obligatory to honor, revere and glorify the Quran and every glorified name, like the name of Allaah, or the name of a Prophet of Allaah. What is meant by the names of the Prophets are the names that are understood to be the name of a Prophet, so that phrases are used with it to indicate that it is the name of a Prophet, such as "Muhammad the Messenger of Allaah " or "‘Eesa (Jesus) 
", or "Moosa (Moses), whom Allaah had spoken to", and so on. But this ruling does not apply to the name Muhammad, or ‘Eesa, or Moosa alone.”
The commentary of Ad-Dusooqi, from the Maaliki School of jurisprudence, reads: Shaykh Ibraaheem Al-Laqqaani said: “The words are sacred when the letters are written in Arabic, otherwise there is no sacredness for them unless what was written is one of the Names of Allaah.”
This means that the sacredness of the Names of Allaah are confirmed even if they are written in another language than Arabic.
As for the word “God” it means any worshipped entity and it does not specifically refer to the Name of “Allaah”.
May Allaah allow us and you to do all that is good and make us firm with the firm words of faith in this worldly life and in the Hereafter.
Allaah Knows best.
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