Funds Endowed for Building New Mosques: May They Be Spent on Renovating an Existing Mosque?
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Fatwa No. ( 19571 )
Q: Referring to your letter No. (19 \ 1) dated 6 \ 1 \ 1418 AH, accompanied by the letter submitted by His Eminence Shaykh: Abdul Qadir Habib Allah al-Sindi, which details the need of the mosque that the institution built in the city of ( Nawab Shah ) in Sindh for some important facilities, such as housing for the imam and the mu'adhdhin, and restrooms. Accordingly, we inform your Eminence that the institution receives requests to build such facilities for some of the mosques it establishes, as well as requests for furnishings, air conditioning, and loudspeakers. These are presented to the benefactors, but we do not find any willingness to underwrite them. We have accumulated funds from several benefactors who request to contribute to the construction of a mosque. Is it permissible to spend on these needs from these general funds, whose owners did not specify particular mosques? We ask you to issue a ruling on this matter. May Allah reward you for your attention to the affairs of the Muslims, and we ask Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) to bless us with your knowledge and your jihad. He is the Generous, the Bountiful. And may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions.
A: Donating for the construction of a specific mosque includes: building the mosque and its facilities, such as housing for the imam and the mu'adhdhin, restrooms, and the like, as well as what the mosque requires
from furnishings and the like, because they are incidental to the mosque. However, if a person donates for the construction of a mosque or contributes to its construction, those funds may not be spent, or some of them, on building facilities for another existing mosque; because building facilities and what the mosque requires independently are not called a mosque in themselves, so the condition of the endower is not fulfilled in this case. Rather, the funds are to be spent on what the endower specified, which is building a mosque from the start, and this includes its facilities. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: Referring to your letter No. (19 \ 1) dated 6 \ 1 \ 1418 AH, accompanied by the letter submitted by His Eminence Shaykh: Abdul Qadir Habib Allah al-Sindi, which details the need of the mosque that the institution built in the city of ( Nawab Shah ) in Sindh for some important facilities, such as housing for the imam and the mu'adhdhin, and restrooms. Accordingly, we inform your Eminence that the institution receives requests to build such facilities for some of the mosques it establishes, as well as requests for furnishings, air conditioning, and loudspeakers. These are presented to the benefactors, but we do not find any willingness to underwrite them. We have accumulated funds from several benefactors who request to contribute to the construction of a mosque. Is it permissible to spend on these needs from these general funds, whose owners did not specify particular mosques? We ask you to issue a ruling on this matter. May Allah reward you for your attention to the affairs of the Muslims, and we ask Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) to bless us with your knowledge and your jihad. He is the Generous, the Bountiful. And may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions.
A: Donating for the construction of a specific mosque includes: building the mosque and its facilities, such as housing for the imam and the mu'adhdhin, restrooms, and the like, as well as what the mosque requires
from furnishings and the like, because they are incidental to the mosque. However, if a person donates for the construction of a mosque or contributes to its construction, those funds may not be spent, or some of them, on building facilities for another existing mosque; because building facilities and what the mosque requires independently are not called a mosque in themselves, so the condition of the endower is not fulfilled in this case. Rather, the funds are to be spent on what the endower specified, which is building a mosque from the start, and this includes its facilities. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and peace 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.