The Ruling on a Disbeliever Entering al-Masjid al-Haram and Mosques
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, is it permissible for a Muslim to enter the mosque while engaged in actions during prostration, such as forbidden acts and the like?
The Shaykh:
It is permissible.
The questioner:
Is it permissible for a non-Muslim to enter the mosque for other purposes, and also for other actions?
The Shaykh:
As for al-Masjid al-Haram and the Haram, the entire Haram, everything within the miles, it is not permissible for a disbeliever to enter. Allah the Exalted said:[At-Tawbah 9:28] Therefore, a disbeliever cannot be allowed to enter the entire Haram, neither al-Masjid al-Haram nor what surrounds it. As for mosques other than al-Masjid al-Haram and the Haram, this is a matter of disagreement among scholars. The story that passed through us in the two Sahihs regarding Thumamah being tied to a pillar in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), does this indicate permissibility? For a need. If this was for a need, and just as the Christians of Najran entered upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was in the mosque, and they negotiated with him while he was in the mosque, then there is no harm in this for a need, if the need calls for this. Yes.
The questioner:
The Shaykh's children.
The Shaykh:
Hmm? And for this reason they said it is permissible for a need. It is permissible for a disbeliever to enter other than al-Masjid al-Haram and other than the Haram; it is permissible to enter the remaining mosques for a need, if there is a need.
Honorable Shaykh, is it permissible for a Muslim to enter the mosque while engaged in actions during prostration, such as forbidden acts and the like?
The Shaykh:
It is permissible.
The questioner:
Is it permissible for a non-Muslim to enter the mosque for other purposes, and also for other actions?
The Shaykh:
As for al-Masjid al-Haram and the Haram, the entire Haram, everything within the miles, it is not permissible for a disbeliever to enter. Allah the Exalted said:
O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are unclean, so let them not approach al-Masjid al-Haram after this, their [final] year.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْمُشْرِكُونَ نَجَسٌ فَلَا يَقْرَبُوا الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ بَعْدَ عَامِهِمْ هَٰذَاThe questioner:
The Shaykh's children.
The Shaykh:
Hmm? And for this reason they said it is permissible for a need. It is permissible for a disbeliever to enter other than al-Masjid al-Haram and other than the Haram; it is permissible to enter the remaining mosques for a need, if there is a need.
Source
شرح بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام [ صالح الفوزان ]، باب الغسل وحكم الجنب — islamhouse.com (1:00:48)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.