If one designates a place for prayer but does not endow it, it does not cease to be his property
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Fatwa No. ( 16835 )
Q: I moved from my old house to a new one, and after a period of time, I built a room inside the courtyard, measuring no less than 4 x 6 meters, along with a bathroom; this was for the purpose of praying in this room. I did not build a minaret for it. The room is on the ground floor, and the second floor is part of the adjacent apartment. When I am present, I lead the prayer in this room. I asked them about it, and they said: This place is not suitable for several reasons: 1 - Because it is inside the house's courtyard.
2 - Because it is not in the appropriate location, and because it is not in the center of the neighborhood. 3 - The narrowness of the area around my house; because there is a cemetery in the qiblah direction of the room. 4 - The people of the neighborhood requested a plot of land in a central location to build a mosque on it, and by the grace of Allah, we obtained a plot from a generous person in a suitable location, and we established the prayer in this new mosque. I was one of the contributors to this mosque. The required information is: A - Am I obligated to leave the congregation and pray in the aforementioned room; because I originally established it as a prayer place? B - Is it permissible for me to benefit from it for any purpose from which I can benefit? C - Is it permissible for me to lock it as it is and not benefit from it? Please inform me about this matter, may Allah reward you.
A: The room you designated for prayer inside your courtyard, if you did not utter the words of endowing it and making it a public benefit, and if you did not open a door for it onto the street to indicate that it is for people to pray in, then it is yours, and it has not exited your ownership; because it is part of your courtyard, and you may dispose of it as you dispose of the rest of your property.
And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: I moved from my old house to a new one, and after a period of time, I built a room inside the courtyard, measuring no less than 4 x 6 meters, along with a bathroom; this was for the purpose of praying in this room. I did not build a minaret for it. The room is on the ground floor, and the second floor is part of the adjacent apartment. When I am present, I lead the prayer in this room. I asked them about it, and they said: This place is not suitable for several reasons: 1 - Because it is inside the house's courtyard.
2 - Because it is not in the appropriate location, and because it is not in the center of the neighborhood. 3 - The narrowness of the area around my house; because there is a cemetery in the qiblah direction of the room. 4 - The people of the neighborhood requested a plot of land in a central location to build a mosque on it, and by the grace of Allah, we obtained a plot from a generous person in a suitable location, and we established the prayer in this new mosque. I was one of the contributors to this mosque. The required information is: A - Am I obligated to leave the congregation and pray in the aforementioned room; because I originally established it as a prayer place? B - Is it permissible for me to benefit from it for any purpose from which I can benefit? C - Is it permissible for me to lock it as it is and not benefit from it? Please inform me about this matter, may Allah reward you.
A: The room you designated for prayer inside your courtyard, if you did not utter the words of endowing it and making it a public benefit, and if you did not open a door for it onto the street to indicate that it is for people to pray in, then it is yours, and it has not exited your ownership; because it is part of your courtyard, and you may dispose of it as you dispose of the rest of your property.
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.