What is the ruling on writing names such as "Ahmad, Muhammad, and Abdullah" on urine or stool sample containers in a medical laboratory to distinguish the samples?
Every revered name in Islamic law, such as the Qur'an, the names of Allah, and the names of the Prophets, must be respected and honored. The names of the Prophets refer to what is understood to be associated with a Prophet, such as "Muhammad, Messenger of Allah." However, the mere name "Muhammad" does not fall under this ruling. It is not permissible to use revered books that contain the mention of Allah for ' (cleaning oneself after relieving oneself), due to the sanctity of the letters and the violation of the that this entails. Scholars have differed regarding non-revered books: the Malikis held that it is not permissible to use them for istinja' due to the sanctity of the letters, while the Shafi'is permitted using non-revered books for istinja' if they are devoid of a revered name. If it is possible to avoid writing the patient's name on the containers and instead use a symbol, that would be preferable to avoid the dispute. If it is not possible, there is no harm in writing it, following the opinion of those who do not consider the letters to be sacred if their meaning is not revered in Islamic law. If it is possible to write them in a script other than Arabic, that would be more appropriate.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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