Short answer
In the Hanafi school, a worn mushaf that can no longer be read is wrapped in a clean cloth and buried in a clean place where people do not walk. It is never thrown away with rubbish, and the Hanafis prefer burial to burning. Some other scholars allow burning it completely, following what the caliph Uthman did.
A mushaf that is no longer usable should be wrapped in clean cloth and buried in a pure place that is not walked on, ideally in a recess like a grave so the soil does not fall straight onto it. Burning is not the preferred Hanafi way; throwing it out with ordinary rubbish is haram because it is disrespect.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Burning a worn mushaf is allowed, and some Shafi'i scholars prefer it to other methods, following Uthman, who had the other written copies burned after he sent out the standard mushaf.
Explanation
When the caliph Uthman sent the standard copies of the Quran to the cities, he ordered the other written sheets to be burned, and the Companions accepted this. Scholars who allow burning rely on that. The Hanafi scholars prefer burial because it honours the mushaf the way a Muslim's body is honoured, by returning it to the earth whole.
- First check whether it can still be used: rebind it, repair loose pages, or give it to someone who can read it.
- Ask your local mosque: many collect worn copies and bury them together.
- To bury it yourself, wrap it in a clean cloth and bury it in a clean spot that people do not walk over, such as a quiet corner of a garden, deep enough to stay covered.
- If burial is truly not possible where you live, many contemporary Hanafi muftis allow burning it completely with respect and then burying the ash.
The same care applies to loose pages, school worksheets, flyers and newspapers that carry ayat or Allah's name. Do not put them in the recycling or the bin; collect them and bury them with the worn copies.
For everyday respect while a copy is still in use, see putting the Quran on the floor.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Hajj 22:32
ذَٰلِكَ وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَٰٓئِرَ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقْوَى ٱلْقُلُوبِ ﴿٣٢﴾
That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols of Allah - indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.
Disposing of the mushaf with care is part of honouring what Allah has made sacred.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Taharah, discussion of a mushaf that has become worn and unreadable. It is wrapped in clean cloth and buried, not burned.
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, chapter on reciting the Quran and the manners of the mushaf. Burial of an old mushaf in a recess so soil does not fall on it directly.
- al-Tibyan fi Adab Hamalat al-Quran (Nawawi), Chapter on honouring the mushaf. The Shafi'i view allowing burning, based on the practice of Uthman.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.