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Can a land, previously a Masjid, be rented out to contribute to the income of a new Masjid?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Askimam.org

We had an old mosque in our locality and long back that was dismentalled and a new mosque was constructed at other piece of land some 400 feet away.A tin shed has been constructed on the piece of land where there was previousely  mosque ,can we give this tin shed on rent to somebody and the income generated from it would be used for maintenance and extension of newly constructed mosque or we have to keep it idle or what type of structure can we construct on that piece of land please advice in light of Hadith and quran

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

At the outset, it was not permissible to dismantle the old mosque and replace it with a new mosque on another piece of land[1]. Once a land has been endowed and classified as a Shar’i masjid, it will remain as such until the day of Qiyāmah[2]. Therefore, it is not permissible to use the old land for any other purpose than of a Masjid[3]. Hence, it is also not permissible to sell it, rent it out or convert it to anything else albeit it may be to utilise the revenue thereof to contribute to the construction or maintenance of the new Masjid[4]. The previous land will remain a Masjid in spite of its structure being dismantled[5].

It would have been more appropriate to have consulted the Ulema prior to dismantling the old mosque and replacing it with another upon a different land. The old land, along with the new Masjid, should be reused as a Masjid for the purpose of Salah[6] and the community should try their utmost to ensure both Masjids are inhabited.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Hanif Yusuf Patel

Student Darul Iftaa
UK

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

www.daruliftaa.net


[1] [Kifayat al-Mufti, 7: 42, Dar al-Isha`at, Karachi]

[2] وان المساجد لله

[Al-Quran, 72:18]

[Al-Bahr ar-Ra`iq Sharh Kanz ad-Daqa`iq wa Minhat al-Khaliq, 5: 272]

[3] [Imdad al-Ahkam, 3: 174, Maktabah Dar al-Uloom Karachi]

[4] [Kifayat al-Mufti, 7: 28, Dar al-Isha`at, Karachi; Imdad al-Ahkam, 3: 170, Maktabah Dar al-Uloom Karachi]

 فال ابو يوسف: هو مسجد أبدا إلى قيام الساعة لا يعود ميراثا ولا يجوز نقله ونقل ماله إلى مسجد آخر سواء كانوا يصلون فيه أو لا وهو الفتوى كذا في الحاوي القدسي وفي المجتبى وأكثر المشايخ على قول أبي يوسف ورجح في فتح القدير قول أبي يوسف بأنه الأوجه

[Al-Bahr ar-Ra`iq Sharh Kanz ad-Daqa`iq wa Minhat al-Khaliq, 5: 272]

[5] ( ولو خرب ما حوله واستغني عنه يبقى مسجدا عند الإمام والثاني أبدا إلى قيام الساعة وبه يفتي  حاوي القدسي) … قوله : (ولو خرب ما حوله ) أي ولو مع بقائه عامرا وكذا لو خرب وليس له ما يعمر به وقد استغنى الناس عنه لبناء مسجد آخر ( قوله : عند الإمام والثاني ) فلا يعود ميراثا ولا يجوز نقله ونقل ماله إلى مسجد آخر ، سواء كانوا يصلون فيه أو لا وهو الفتوى حاوي القدسي ، وأكثر المشايخ عليه مجتبى وهو الأوجه

[Rad al-Muhtar ala ad-Durr al-Mukhtar, 4: 358, H.M.Saeed Company]

[Al-Bahr ar-Ra`iq, 5: 421, Maktabah Rashidiyyah; al-Fatawa al-Hindiyyah, 2: 458, Maktabah Rashidiyyah]

[Fatawa Mahmudiyyah, 14: 615, Dar al-Iftaa Jamiah Faruqiyyah, Karachi]

[6] [Kifayat al-Mufti, 7: 35, Dar al-Isha`at, Karachi; Fatawa Mahmudiyyah, 14: 615, Dar al-Iftaa Jamiah Faruqiyyah, Karachi]

This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.

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