The ruling on placing wood on the wall of the mosque

The questioner : As for placing wood on the wall of the mosque, provided the two conditions are met, there are two narrations. One is that it is permissible, because its permissibility in the property of a human being is based on the right to restrict.

The Shaykh : In our view, it is based on restriction.

The questioner : Yes. The property of a human being is subject to restriction, which serves as an indication of its permissibility. In the case of Allah, the property is subject to leniency and ease. The second narration is that it is prohibited, and Abu Bakr chose this one, because the default ruling is prohibition. Since this default was overridden in the case of a specific human being, it remains in effect for everything else according to the default. Based on this narration, it would be prohibited to place it on the neighbor’s property without his permission, for the reason mentioned for the first narration.

The Shaykh : The correct view is that the wall of the mosque is like any other wall. If there is no harm to the wall and the wall can bear the weight, then he may place it there, whether he asked the imam’s permission or not. The imam referred to here is the imam of authority, not the imam of the congregation.