Mufti sahab please solve my doubts, In our locality in Mumbai, the trustees of the Masjid have made three small shops on the outer side (road facing) wall of the ablution area, and have given the shops on rent and thew income would be exclusively used for the expenses of Masjid, the shops are neither sold nor given on pagadi, earlier the walls were thick and now they have reduced the thickness of the wall to accomodate the shops and have used around 6 to 7 inches of the ablution area space (kharije Masjid) space, the same is common in almost every masjid in Mumbai as well as other parts of the country and may be around many parts of the world, what will be the status of these acts, is this halal or najayaz or haram in the light of Shariah
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
It is permissible for the trustees to establish the shops which generate income for the masjid since they were built adjacent to the wudu area which is a separate area away from the actual masjid (including above and below the masjid).
In Shari’ah, once a masjid is established as a waqf (endowment), it will always remain the property of Allah Ta’ala and cannot return to being the property of anyone else. Also, all of the space above the masjid till the skies and the space below it till the depths of the earth will also be regarded as a masjid.
The Fuqaha have mentioned that if a person intends building a masjid, and also intends on building shops below the masjid or a house above the masjid, it will be permissible for him to do so as long as the other floors have been made waqf and are cleared from all rights of any creation. These floors can then be used for purposes that would benefit the masjid (e.g. house for Imam on top of the masjid or shops which generate income for the masjid) or the community (e.g. a community hall, school, etc. below the masjid). However, one has to make these intentions before declaring the place a masjid. It will not be permissible to build shops, a community hall, school etc. above and below a place which has been already declared a masjid.
As an alternative, it will be permissible to use other areas which are not directly above, below, and part of the masjid (such as the wudu area, courtyard, etc.) to establish shops or other things which benefit the masjid and/or the community, as is in the case mentioned in your query.
وحاصله أن شرط كونه مسجدا أن يكون سفله وعلوه مسجدا لينقطع حق العبد عنه لقوله تعالى { وأن المساجد لله } بخلاف ما إذا كان السرداب أو العلو موقوفا لمصالح المسجد فإنه يجوز إذ لا ملك فيه لأحد بل هو من تتميم مصالح المسجد فهو كسرداب مسجد بيت المقدس هذا هو ظاهر المذهب وهناك روايات ضعيفة مذكورة في الهداية وبما ذكرناه علم أنه لو بنى بيتا على سطح المسجد لسكنى الإمام فإنه لا يضر في كونه مسجدا لأنه من المصالح فإن قلت : لو جعل مسجدا ثم أراد أن يبني فوقه بيتا للإمام أو غيره هل له ذلك قلت : قال في التتارخانية إذا بنى مسجدا وبنى غرفة وهو في يده فله ذلك وإن كان حين بناه خلى بينه وبين الناس ثم جاء بعد ذلك يبني لا يتركه وفي جامع الفتوى إذا قال عنيت ذلك فإنه لا يصدق .
(Al-Bahr al-Raiq Vol.5 Pg.251 – Maktabah Rasheediyah)
( و ) كره تحريما ( الوطء فوقه ، والبول والتغوط ) لأنه مسجد إلى عنان السماء
الشرح
( قوله إلى عنان السماء ) بفتح العين ، وكذا إلى تحت الثرى كما في البيري عن الإسبيجابي .
(Raddul Muhtaar Vol.1 Pg.656 – H.M. Sa’eed Company)
(Fatawa Mahmudiyya, 14/528, Faruqiyya)
And Allah knows best
Wassalaamu `alaykum
Ml. Asif Umar,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In’aamiyyah