Answered by: Maulana Mohammed Kamran Abid
Question
A masjid is being extended and the builders have done a lot of digging. The soil is gathered into a skip and disposed of in another place. Is it permissible for the locals to take that soil and use it for their back garden since it’s getting disposed of? Should they also pay some money for the soil?
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Wa alaykumus Salaam. The soil in itself is something that does not have a price unless it is processed or packaged. It would be permissible for the locals to take the soil and use it for their backyard gardens.[1] They would not have to give money for it.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Maulana Mohammed Kamran Abid
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
[1] وَفِي الْمُنْتَقَى بَوَارِي الْمَسْجِدِ إذَا خَلَقَتْ فَصَارَتْ لَا يُنْتَفَعُ بِهَا فَأَرَادَ الَّذِي بَسَطَهَا أَنْ يَأْخُذَهَا وَيَتَصَدَّقَ بِهَا أَوْ يَشْتَرِيَ مَكَانَهَا أُخْرَى فَلَهُ ذَلِكَ وَإِنْ كَانَ غَائِبًا فَأَرَادَ أَهْلُ الْمَحَلَّةِ أَنْ يَأْخُذُوا الْبَوَارِيَ وَيَتَصَدَّقُوا بِهَا بَعْدَمَا خَلَقَتْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ ذَلِكَ إذَا كَانَتْ لَهَا قِيمَةٌ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَهَا قِيمَةٌ لَا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ كَذَا فِي الذَّخِيرَةِ.
حَشِيشُ الْمَسْجِدِ إذَا أُخْرِجَ مِنْ الْمَسْجِدِ أَيَّامَ الرَّبِيعِ إنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ قِيمَةٌ لَا بَأْسَ بِطَرْحِهِ خَارِجَ الْمَسْجِدِ وَلِمَنْ رَفَعَهُ أَنْ يَنْتَفِعَ، كَذَا فِي الْوَاقِعَاتِ الْحُسَامِيَّةِ حَشِيشُ الْمَسْجِدِ إذَا كَانَتْ لَهُ قِيمَةٌ فَلِأَهْلِ الْمَسْجِدِ أَنْ يَبِيعُوهُ وَإِنْ رَفَعُوا إلَى الْحَاكِمِ فَهُوَ أَحَبُّ ثُمَّ يَبِيعُوهُ بِأَمْرِهِ هُوَ الْمُخْتَارُ، كَذَا فِي جَوَاهِرِ الْأَخْلَاطِيِّ.
(Al-Fatawa Al-Hindiya, vol. 2, pg. 458-459, Darul Fikr)