As Minnesota’s Muslim community grows, old Qurans overwhelm mosques

By Mohamud Farah | Sahan Journal

This story comes to you from Sahan Journal through a partnership with MPR News.

For the past 16 years, retired tailor Mukhtar Isse has been rebinding Qurans, using tape and glue to keep the sacred texts in the hands of local Muslims. 

He’s one of three Somali men who volunteer as bookbinders at local mosques. But they haven’t been able to keep up with demand.

Minnesota imams say strict rules regarding the disposal of the Muslim holy book, along with the state’s environmental regulations, have led to a pileup of old and damaged books at local mosques.

With no designated facilities for appropriately disposing of these sacred texts, the issue has become a pressing concern for the Muslim community.

Growing number of Quranic students

Ahemd Burhan Mohamed of New Brighton, the first American to win the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, said the number of students memorizing the Quran is rapidly increasing, with 784 participants in the last Imam Shatibi Quran Competition held in July at John F. Kennedy High School in Bloomington.

The Quran is a staple for every dugsi student, making it the best-selling book in Islamic bookstores across the state.

Haji-Ahmed Mohamed Firin, owner of Tawakal Bookstore in the 24 Mall in Minneapolis, said parents visit his store seeking guidance on 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, families would inherit Qurans due to the scarcity of paper, leading to careful preservation of the texts. However, today’s abundance of printed Qurans — and the number of young Muslims in Quranic classes — has made the disposal of old and worn-out copies more challenging.

“As children quickly wear out and rip pages from their own Quranic books, families struggle to find a proper way to dispose of the texts in accordance with Islamic rules,” said Imam Yusuf Abdulle, executive director of the Islamic Association of North America (IANA).

“We want to follow the proper Islamic guidelines for disposing of old Quranic texts, but we must also adhere to the state’s environmental laws. It’s a challenging situation for us.”

While some Islamic traditions permit the burning of worn-out sacred books as a last resort, environmental regulations and concerns in Minnesota complicate this practice for mosques. 

According to Imam Mohamed Abdi Shuayb, an Islamic scholar and founder of the Bayan Research Center in St. Anthony, “Islamically, it is permissible for old and worn-out Quranic texts to be burned appropriately.” He added, “It is unfortunate that we have over 60 mosques in Minnesota, and no one in the state is performing this noble task that preserves the environment and benefits the entire nation.”

How to handle a damaged Quran

The Egyptian Dar al-Ifta, established in 1895 and renowned for its religious rulings, has emphasized the importance of preserving the Quran. According to its guidance on handling worn-out and damaged Qurans, every Muslim should ensure that the Quran is not exposed to disrespect or loss. 

This can be achieved by keeping it in a protective cover and placing it in a location where it can be maintained and preserved, preventing its pages from scattering and being subjected to disrespect.

According to Islamic law, there are three legal ways to deal with a damaged Quran: 

1. Burial: The burial of the Quran in a clean place is one of the most respectful ways to preserve the holy book. A deep hole should be dug to protect it from any impurity.

2. Burning: The damaged Quran can be carefully burned, and the ashes should be buried. This method requires the intention of burning to protect the Quranic text from disrespect, not for any other purpose. It is the most convenient method for Muslim communities living in Western countries if the practice adheres to local laws and environmental regulations.

3. Reprinting or re-binding: If the damage is partial, the Quran can be sent to a specialized institution for restoration to be rebounded or repaired.

In Minnesota, the only current method for handling damaged Quranic books is rebinding.

Other faith traditions

Islam is not the only faith tradition with strict rules around the handling of sacred texts.

In Judaism, sacred texts, particularly Torah scrolls and other religious writings, must be disposed of with great reverence. The traditional method of disposal involves burial, said Rabbi Yosi Gordon of the Minnesota Rabbinical Association.  

“In Hebrew texts, the only text we are very careful about, is only when it includes God’s name only,” Gordon said. “Even if it’s a book and has God’s name in it, [it] must be buried.”

“No burning, that’s absolutely forbidden,” he added. 

He said synagogues have arrangements with Jewish cemeteries or mortuaries. “We send them the books. And when they have a burial, they add the books into the coffin and it’s considered a great honor for the deceased to be buried with holy books.”

The Reverend Timothy Sas, of St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis, said Orthodox Christians revere the Bible as Muslims do the Quran.

“The appropriate way to dispose of the damaged or worn-out [text] is to bury it or burn it,” he said.

However, Islamic practice dictates that it is inappropriate to discard regular printed papers if they contain sections or verses from the Quran. “This is a difference compared to Christians, as it is perfectly acceptable for us to simply recycle such pages,” Sas said. 

Sas said it is rare for anyone to ask him how to dispose of worn-out Bibles but many families keep old books as a treasured family heirloom.

Next steps

Imams and mosque leaders have met with Minneapolis Council Member Jamal Osman to discuss the need for a proper disposal solution for old holy books. 

While Muslim faith leaders seek an environmentally friendly option, technology may offer one solution.

Imam Shuayb said many young people use Quran apps on their smartphones during mosque visits, especially on Fridays and between night prayers. The use of these apps helps conserve trees and reduce waste.

Farhan Abdi, an Eagan father of six, found his house full of old holy books upon returning from a summer trip to Kenya, where his children visited their grandparents.

“They are everywhere,” he said of the texts, “on the refrigerator, all shelves, the living room, and all bedrooms.” 

The local business owner, who flips houses, has a homegrown solution: he has pledged to help purchase a machine for incinerating old Qurans.

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