How Should I Dispose Material That Has Religious Imagery?

Answered by Ustadh Salman Younas

Question: Assalam aleykum

I bought some dates which are packed in wrappers having pictures of the Kaaba and the Prophet’s mosque (peace be upon him). How should I dispose it?

Answer: assalamu alaykum

It would be best to dispose such material that has religious imagery of the type you describe in a respectful manner. It would seem that the easiest way for you to do this in the case of wrappers is to tear/shred them such that the picture of the Kaaba and Masjid al-Nabawi are no longer distinct or comprehensible.

You should note that the matter is treated more seriously when it relates to actual Qur’anic verses, the name of Allah, His prophets, or His angels. For details regarding this see:

How to Get Rid of Unwanted Islamic Literature

Would it be Permissible to Use a Paper Shredder to Dispose of Material with Qur’anic Verses on them?

[Ustadh] Salman Younas

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Salman Younas graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in Political Science and Religious Studies. After studying the Islamic sciences online and with local scholars in New York, Ustadh Salman moved to Amman. There he studies Islamic law, legal methodology, belief, hadith methodology, logic, Arabic, and tafsir.