What can you actually send us?

A clear guide to what qualifies as Islamic literature for burial — and what to do with the things that don't.

We get asked this a lot, usually while someone is halfway through packing a box: "does this count?" It's a fair question — a Quran clearly needs respectful burial, but what about the prayer mat next to it, or the old cassette of Quran recitation at the bottom of the drawer? Here's the line, and why it's drawn where it is.

The principle

We bury paper-based Islamic literature — specifically, anything on paper that bears the name of Allah, the Messenger ﷺ, or Qur'anic verses. Everything else, however Islamic in character, sits outside that scope. This isn't us being unhelpful — it's what keeps the service focused, affordable, and Islamically clean, and it's the same line most scholars draw when discussing this specific ruling: the sanctity attaches to the sacred text itself, not to religious objects in general.

What qualifies

• Qurans — complete or partial, printed or handwritten
• Hadith collections, tafsir, du'a booklets, and prayer books
• Islamic schoolbooks and madrasa workbooks
• Torn or loose pages with Arabic verses
• Wedding or Eid cards bearing the name of Allah or Qur'anic verses
• Laminated prayer timetables or posters with verses on them

The test is simple: if it's paper, and it carries the name of Allah, the Messenger ﷺ, or Qur'anic verses, it qualifies — regardless of whether it's a bound book, a single sheet, or a laminated poster.

What doesn't qualify

To keep the service focused on the text itself, we don't accept:

• CDs, DVDs, cassettes, USB sticks, hard drives, or any digital or electronic media
• Tasbih beads, prayer mats, prayer caps, or clothing
• Ornaments, figurines, or wall art with heavy frames or glass
• Toys or children's religious-themed decorative items
• Anything containing batteries, electronics, plastic casing, metal, or glass

So what should you do with those instead?

None of this means these items are disposable carelessly — they just don't need the specific treatment paper text needs, so ordinary respectful routes are fine:

• Prayer mats, caps, and clothing in usable condition: donate to a mosque, Islamic charity shop, or general charity donation point.
• Worn-out prayer mats or textiles no longer usable: textile recycling banks (most UK supermarkets and recycling centres have one) — this is standard, uncontroversial practice.
• Recitation CDs, cassettes, and old devices: your local household waste and recycling centre has an electronics/media stream for exactly this.
• Framed or glass items: if still presentable, a charity shop; if not, general waste is fine — the glass and frame carry no sanctity of their own.

Not sure if something qualifies?

If you're not sure whether an item counts, ask us before you post it. If a parcel does arrive with non-accepted items mixed in, we separate them and either return them to you at cost, or dispose of them ordinarily if you've told us that's fine in your order notes. Nothing is sold, photographed, or shared.

Ready to send the paper items?

Weigh whatever qualifies and get an exact price before you post anything.

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