Building a mosque with the money from shrine boxes
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Fatwa number ( 16459 )
Q: There is in our city the shrine of the righteous man ( Sayyid al-Shaykh ). Inside this shrine, there is a box in which the visitors of this shrine—who come from all over Algeria , and even from neighboring countries—place money and gold jewelry. At the end of each year, the box is opened, and a portion of this money is distributed to all the mosques in this
city, which number seven, in order to complete the construction of what remains of them or to purchase the necessities of the mosques that have been completed. It is known that the distribution of the money includes all the mosques, and the remaining costs of the mosques are collected from the worshippers. What is the ruling on building mosques with this money, and what is the ruling on praying in them?
A: Building on graves and making mosques on them is not permissible; because it is one of the means of shirk (associating partners with Allah). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed those who did that, and informed that they are among the worst of people. Offering money to the boxes of shrines is major shirk; because this is one of the types of worship, and whoever directs any type of worship to other than Allah has committed shirk. These monies collected from the visitors of the shrines are haram (forbidden). People must be prevented from offering them to the boxes of the shrines, and they must be informed that this is major shirk. As for the money that is already there, it is not returned to its owners, but it is spent on the poor and the needy. It is not permissible to spend it on the interests of the mosques; because it is from evil earnings. The mosques must be purified from it and from the like of it. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: There is in our city the shrine of the righteous man ( Sayyid al-Shaykh ). Inside this shrine, there is a box in which the visitors of this shrine—who come from all over Algeria , and even from neighboring countries—place money and gold jewelry. At the end of each year, the box is opened, and a portion of this money is distributed to all the mosques in this
city, which number seven, in order to complete the construction of what remains of them or to purchase the necessities of the mosques that have been completed. It is known that the distribution of the money includes all the mosques, and the remaining costs of the mosques are collected from the worshippers. What is the ruling on building mosques with this money, and what is the ruling on praying in them?
A: Building on graves and making mosques on them is not permissible; because it is one of the means of shirk (associating partners with Allah). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed those who did that, and informed that they are among the worst of people. Offering money to the boxes of shrines is major shirk; because this is one of the types of worship, and whoever directs any type of worship to other than Allah has committed shirk. These monies collected from the visitors of the shrines are haram (forbidden). People must be prevented from offering them to the boxes of the shrines, and they must be informed that this is major shirk. As for the money that is already there, it is not returned to its owners, but it is spent on the poor and the needy. It is not permissible to spend it on the interests of the mosques; because it is from evil earnings. The mosques must be purified from it and from the like of it. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.