Leasing Minarets and the Courtyard of the Mosque
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Q: Is it permissible to lease the minarets of mosques to telecommunications companies to place network signal boosters on them , with the rent going to the benefit of
the endowment? It is known that the rent is not allocated specifically for the benefit of the mosque, but rather returns to the endowment authority in general. What is the ruling on leasing the mosque courtyard to banks to place cash withdrawal and deposit machines in it , given that the courtyard intended for leasing and benefiting from its yield for the endowment is not enclosed?
A: It is not permissible to use mosques or their attached courtyards as a venue for selling, buying, or leasing, whether for companies, factories, banks, or others; because mosques are built only for the worship of Allah the Exalted, such as prayer, dhikr, learning and teaching knowledge, reciting the Qur'an, and the like. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Jinn 72:18]. Exploiting mosques or their attached courtyards contradicts this. Therefore, they must be kept pure from what has been mentioned, their sanctity must be respected, and care must be taken to prevent people from being occupied with things that distract them from the worship of Allah the Exalted and their attachment to the Hereafter. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said regarding mosques: Sahih Muslim 285. It was narrated by Muslim . The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1321Sahih (Darussalam). It was narrated by al-Nasa'i , and al-Tirmidhi , who graded it as good. Leasing the courtyards of the mosque
for this purpose is a form of trade.
the endowment? It is known that the rent is not allocated specifically for the benefit of the mosque, but rather returns to the endowment authority in general. What is the ruling on leasing the mosque courtyard to banks to place cash withdrawal and deposit machines in it , given that the courtyard intended for leasing and benefiting from its yield for the endowment is not enclosed?
A: It is not permissible to use mosques or their attached courtyards as a venue for selling, buying, or leasing, whether for companies, factories, banks, or others; because mosques are built only for the worship of Allah the Exalted, such as prayer, dhikr, learning and teaching knowledge, reciting the Qur'an, and the like. Allah the Exalted said:
And [He revealed] that the masjids are for Allah, so do not invoke with Allah anyone.
وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلاَ تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًاbut are only for the remembrance of Allah, prayer and the recitation of the Qur'an
إنما هي لذكر الله - عز وجل - والصلاة وقراءة القرآنWhen you see someone selling or buying in the Masjid then say: 'May Allah not profit your business.'
إذا رأيتم من يبيع أو يبتاع في المسجد فقولوا : لا أربح الله تجارتكfor this purpose is a form of trade.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.