Using newspapers written in Arabic as mats to put food on

2-12-2010 | IslamWeb

Question:

Salaamo Alaicom. Is it allowed to make english or arabic newspapers as sufra i.e. using as mat for eating dinner or lunch on it? Thank you.
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

It is not permissible to use the newspapers containing the mention of Allaah, Allaah's Names and Attributes as mats to put food on, because this is disrespecting them. Besides, it is not permissible to do so even if those newspapers are written in English as long as they contain something of the mention of Allaah. For more benefit, refer to Fatwa 87042.

Moreover, it is not appropriate to do so with anything that is written in Arabic even if it does not contain any mention of Allaah because Arabic is the language of the Quran and the language of the Prophet of Islam sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ); therefore, one should respect it and not use it in items used as table mats or in any other form of disrespect.

Allaah Knows best.

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