Adorning Mosques, Installing Clocks, Calendars, and Advertisements
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Question:
The issue, may Allah preserve you, is that one of the students of knowledge mentioned in one of the study sessions today an article about the adornment of mosques. He stated that it is among the signs of the Hour, and clarified that the adornment consists of several matters, including the installation of a calendar in the mosque, placing notices for lessons and lectures, and hanging two clocks on the wall, one for the Hijri calendar and one for the Gregorian calendar. So, Honorable Shaykh, are these matters considered among the manifestations of the prohibited adornment of the mosque, or not? Are they among the signs of the Hour, or not?
Answer:
As for the adornment of mosques, which is decorating them, carving them, and writing on them, yes, this is among the signs of the Hour, and it is not desirable. The adornment of mosques is prohibited.
As for this exaggeration by the questioner, and the claim that placing a clock to know the time and placing a calendar to know the time is part of the adornment, that is not correct. Placing a clock is for the benefit, and placing the Hijri calendar is likewise to know the entry of the time, the times of prayer. This is what helps in prayer and helps in the worship of Allah, so this is not part of the adornment. As for placing advertisements, boards, and engravings, yes, this is not appropriate. This is not a need of the mosque. Placing boards for advertisements and such for promotions is not a need of the mosque. So this is removed from the mosque, and there is no benefit for people in it. If a person wants to remind people, he reminds them by speech, reciting to them the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), or he reads to them a written piece of advice, reading it to them and letting them hear it. And if there is a lecture, it is announced without hanging an advertisement for the text. He announces the lecture and informs people that there is a lecture in such-and-such a mosque, and that is sufficient. Yes.
The issue, may Allah preserve you, is that one of the students of knowledge mentioned in one of the study sessions today an article about the adornment of mosques. He stated that it is among the signs of the Hour, and clarified that the adornment consists of several matters, including the installation of a calendar in the mosque, placing notices for lessons and lectures, and hanging two clocks on the wall, one for the Hijri calendar and one for the Gregorian calendar. So, Honorable Shaykh, are these matters considered among the manifestations of the prohibited adornment of the mosque, or not? Are they among the signs of the Hour, or not?
Answer:
As for the adornment of mosques, which is decorating them, carving them, and writing on them, yes, this is among the signs of the Hour, and it is not desirable. The adornment of mosques is prohibited.
As for this exaggeration by the questioner, and the claim that placing a clock to know the time and placing a calendar to know the time is part of the adornment, that is not correct. Placing a clock is for the benefit, and placing the Hijri calendar is likewise to know the entry of the time, the times of prayer. This is what helps in prayer and helps in the worship of Allah, so this is not part of the adornment. As for placing advertisements, boards, and engravings, yes, this is not appropriate. This is not a need of the mosque. Placing boards for advertisements and such for promotions is not a need of the mosque. So this is removed from the mosque, and there is no benefit for people in it. If a person wants to remind people, he reminds them by speech, reciting to them the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), or he reads to them a written piece of advice, reading it to them and letting them hear it. And if there is a lecture, it is announced without hanging an advertisement for the text. He announces the lecture and informs people that there is a lecture in such-and-such a mosque, and that is sufficient. Yes.
Source
شرح لمعة الاعتقاد [ صالح الفوزان ]، الإيمان قول وعمل — islamhouse.com (1:00:53)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.