Does Mentioning or Writing the Names of Disbelievers Make the Tongue or Writing Impure?

Evidence from Hadith:​

It is recorded in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim in the narration regarding Heraclius, that the Prophet ﷺ wrote to him:

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم من محمد عبد الله ورسوله إلى هرقل عظيم الروم

And in the letter, the Prophet ﷺ also included the following verse:

يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍۢ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِۦ شَيْـًۭٔا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًۭا أَرْبَابًۭا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَقُولُوا۟ اشْهَدُوا۟ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ
(Surah Aal-e-Imran: 64)

References:

• Sahih Bukhari: 2941
• Sahih Muslim: 1773

Key Benefits and Lessons:​

➊ Mentioning or Writing the Names of Disbelievers Does Not Make the Tongue or Writing Impure:

• Merely uttering or writing the names of disbelievers does not make the tongue impure, nor does it affect the purity of writing.
• Names such as Abu Jahl, Pharaoh, Abu Lahab, Haman, and Heraclius can be mentioned or written without any issue.
• Similarly, it is permissible to mention the names of impure or forbidden animals.
• The Prophet ﷺ himself mentioned names like Abu Jahl and Pharaoh, and the Qur'an mentions the name of Swine (خنزیر).

➋ Etiquettes of Writing Letters in Islam:

• The phrase "بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم" should be written in full at the beginning of any writing or correspondence.
• Writing "بسم الله" in numerical figures is not proven from hadith.
• The sender's name should be mentioned first, followed by the recipient's name, as seen in the Prophet's ﷺ letter:
  "من محمد بن عبد الله و رسوله إلى هرقل عظيم الروم"
• When addressing the recipient, respectful words should be used.
• The Prophet ﷺ referred to Heraclius as "عظيم الروم" (Great Leader of Rome), showing diplomatic etiquette.

➌ Including Qur’anic Verses and Prophetic Sayings in Special Letters:

• It is permissible to write Qur'anic verses or hadith in formal letters.
• However, if sending such a letter to a non-Muslim country, one should exercise caution to prevent desecration.
• The safest approach is to send important documents or treaties through a trusted messenger or diplomat instead of regular mail, to prevent them from being disrespected.

Source:​

This content has been taken from Sheikh Taqi al-Din Abi al-Fath’s book "Diya al-Islam fi Sharh al-Imam bi-Ahadith al-Ahkam", translated by Maulana Mahmood Ahmad Ghaznfar Sahib.