For 16 years, retired tailor Mukhtar Isse has been diligently rebinding Qurans with tape and glue, ensuring these sacred texts remain accessible to local Muslims.
He’s joined by two other Somali men who volunteer as bookbinders in the mosques, yet they struggle to meet the increasing demand.
Minnesota imams report that strict protocols for disposing of the Muslim holy book, coupled with state environmental regulations, have created a backlog of old and damaged Qurans at mosques.
The shortage of suitable facilities for respectfully disposing of these texts has become a significant issue for the community.
Increasing number of Quran students
Ahmed Burhan Mohamed of New Brighton, the first American to win the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, mentioned that the number of students memorizing the Quran is rapidly growing. In the last Imam Shatibi Quran Competition held in Bloomington, there were 784 participants.
The Quran is a necessity for every dugsi student, making it the top-selling book in Islamic bookstores statewide.
Haji-Ahmed Mohamed Firin, who owns Tawakal Bookstore in Minneapolis’ 24 Mall, often receives inquiries from parents about how to dispose of worn-out Qurans. “What else can I tell them?” he said, “I advise them to take it to the mosque.”
In the past, Qurans were inherited and preserved carefully due to the rarity of paper. However, the proliferation of printed Qurans and the growing number of young Muslims in Quranic classes have complicated the disposal of old copies.
“As children quickly wear out and rip pages from their own Quranic books, families struggle to find a proper way to dispose of these texts in accordance with Islamic guidelines,” said Imam Yusuf Abdulle, the executive director of the Islamic Association of North America (IANA).
“We aim to follow Islamic guidelines for disposing of old Quranic texts while also adhering to state environmental laws. It’s a tough situation for us.”
Although some Islamic traditions allow burning old Qurans as a last resort, environmental concerns in Minnesota make this challenging for mosques.
Imam Mohamed Abdi Shuayb, an Islamic scholar and founder of the Bayan Research Center in St. Anthony, commented, “Islamically, burning worn-out Quranic texts appropriately is permissible.” He dubbed it “unfortunate” that, despite having over 60 mosques in Minnesota, no one is performing this essential task that benefits both the environment and the community.
Handling a damaged Quran
Established in 1895 and known for its religious rulings, the Egyptian Dar al-Ifta has stressed the importance of preserving the Quran. They advise that every Muslim ensure their Quran is kept in respect and not lost or disrespected.
This involves maintaining it in a protective cover and placing it in a space where it can be safeguarded, preventing its pages from scattering.
Islamic law lists three valid ways to handle a damaged Quran:
1. Burial: The Quran can be buried in a clean place. A hole should be dug deep to avoid impurity.
2. Burning: The damaged Quran can be carefully burned. The ashes should then be buried. This method demands the intention to protect the Quranic text from disrespect, not for any other purpose. It’s the most feasible option for Muslims in Western countries if compliant with local environmental laws.
3. Reprinting or rebinding: If only part of the Quran is damaged, it can be sent for repair or rebinding.
In Minnesota, the current way of managing damaged Quranic texts is rebinding.
Practices in other faith traditions
Islam isn’t alone in having strict rules for managing sacred texts.
Judaism, for example, requires sacred texts, especially Torah scrolls, to be disposed of with great reverence. Rabbi Yosi Gordon of the Minnesota Rabbinical Association said the traditional approach involves burial. “In Hebrew texts, when it includes God’s name, it must be buried,” Gordon explained. “Burning is absolutely forbidden.”
He added that synagogues partner with cemeteries or mortuaries to bury these texts, often placing them in a coffin with a deceased person as an honor.
Similarly, Reverend Timothy Sas of St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis noted that Orthodox Christians treat the Bible with the same reverence: “The proper way to dispose of damaged or worn-out [texts] is to bury or burn them.”
However, Islamic practice differs in avoiding the disposal of everyday papers containing Quranic verses. Reverand Sas acknowledged, “Christians find it acceptable to recycle such pages.” He also shared that it’s rare for people to ask him about discarding worn-out Bibles, as many families keep them as heirlooms.
Next Steps
Imams and mosque leaders have conversed with Minneapolis Council Member Jamal Osman about the need for a proper disposal solution for old sacred texts.
Looking for an eco-friendly method, technology might be a viable approach.
Imam Shuayb highlighted that many young people use Quran apps on their smartphones during mosque visits, especially on Fridays and between night prayers, which conserves trees and cuts down waste.
Farhan Abdi, an Eagan father of six, returned from a trip to Kenya only to find his house overflowing with old Qurans. “They’re everywhere,” he said, “on the fridge, the shelves, the living room, and bedrooms.”
Abdi, who flips houses, has pledged to help buy a machine to incinerate old Qurans as a homegrown solution.
