I am an Imam of a Musjid and require urgent clarification in regards to non-Muslims entering the Musjid, please state the ruling of all the Mazahib.

I am an Imam of a Musjid and require urgent clarification in regards to non-Muslims entering the Musjid, please state the ruling of all the Mazahib.

 Answer:

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

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

According to the Hanafi Mazhab, it is permissible for non- Muslims to enter the Musjid.

Rasullullah(Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) hosted the delegation of the Thaqeef tribe in Musjid e Nabawi while they were still Kuffar.[1]

Hadhrat Mufti Mahmood al- Hasan Gangohi (Rahmatullahi Alayhi), the grand Mufti of India, has stated that the above ruling is conditional to the following conditions:

1. The entering of non- Muslims in the Musjid does not cause any harm/fitnah to the Muslims.

2.  Their apparent impure state is unknown.

A copy of the Fatwa of Hadhrat Mufti Mahmood al- Hasan Gangohi (Rahmatullahi Alayhi) is attached for your perusal:

Translation of the Fatwa:

Question: If a non- Muslim man or woman enters the musjid and it is not known whether he/she in the state of impurity or in the state of purity, is it permissible to enter or not? And is there any sin on the responsible people of the Musjid or not?

Answer: Until such time that there is no certainty of their impure state, and there is no other harm/fitnah, then it is permissible. There is no sin on the responsible people of the Musjid.

A copy of the Fatwa of Hadhrat Mufti Kifayatullah Saheb (Rahmatullahi Alayhi) is attached for your perusal.

Translation of the Fatwa in reference:

Question:

 There are many Muslims in the market place. The Muslims have created a committee in which Hindus and Muslims are included. It is necessary to attend the committee meeting. There is no place where this meeting of peace and unity can be conducted. If it is done in the Musjid, then what is the ruling?

Answer:

There is no problem. Muslims, Hindus, Christians and non- Muslims are not prohibited from entering the Musjid. Non- Muslims enter the Jami Musjid daily for relaxation purposes. If there is one correct objective (unity and establishment of peace), then there is no problem in entering the Musjid.

According to the Hanbali and Shafi’ee schools of thought, it is permissible for non-Muslims to enter any Musjid besides the Al- Musjid al- Haraam.

According to the Maliki Mazhab, It is makrooh (disliked) for non-Muslims to enter any Musjid.[2]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Moulana Ismail Desai,
Student Darul Iftaa
Durban, South Africa

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.