in the Mosque
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Fatwa No. ( 166 )
Q: What is the ruling on asking for alms in mosques, and the presentation of verses and hadiths for that purpose, which contain much confusion and error, let alone the consequences of such asking, such as stepping over people’s necks and interrupting their remembrance of Allah with what he addresses them with?
A: It is not hidden that mosques were established for the worship of Allah the Exalted, such as prayer, recitation, remembrance, i'tikaf (spiritual retreat), learning knowledge, teaching it, and other things that benefit the Muslim community in general. It is not permissible to use them for anything else, such as buying or selling, talking about worldly affairs, or searching for lost items, or similar matters that have no connection to religious affairs. In (Sahih Muslim) , it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Abi Dawud 473Sahih (Al-Albani)
And al-Tirmidhi narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1321Sahih (Darussalam) . Asking for alms is forbidden in the mosque and outside the mosque except out of dire necessity. If the beggar is compelled to do so by his need, and there is nothing to remove his poverty, and he does not step over people’s necks, nor lie about what he reports about himself or mentions of his condition, and he does not raise his voice in his asking in a way that harms the worshippers—such as interrupting their remembrance, or asking while the preacher is delivering the sermon, or asking them while they are listening to knowledge from which they benefit, or similar things that disturb them in their worship—then there is no harm in that. For Abu Dawud narrated in his Sunan from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim 15:74 . Al-Mundhiri said: And Muslim included it in his Sahih, and al-Nasa'i in his Sunan, from the hadith of Abu Hazim Salman al-Ash'aji , to a similar effect.
This hadith indicates the permissibility of giving charity in the mosque, and the permissibility of asking for alms when there is a need. However, if the asking is for other than a need, or if he lies to people about what he mentions of his condition, or if he harms them in his asking, then he is prevented from asking. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: What is the ruling on asking for alms in mosques, and the presentation of verses and hadiths for that purpose, which contain much confusion and error, let alone the consequences of such asking, such as stepping over people’s necks and interrupting their remembrance of Allah with what he addresses them with?
A: It is not hidden that mosques were established for the worship of Allah the Exalted, such as prayer, recitation, remembrance, i'tikaf (spiritual retreat), learning knowledge, teaching it, and other things that benefit the Muslim community in general. It is not permissible to use them for anything else, such as buying or selling, talking about worldly affairs, or searching for lost items, or similar matters that have no connection to religious affairs. In (Sahih Muslim) , it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
if anyone hears a man crying out in the mosque about something he has lost, he should say: May Allah not restore it to you, for the mosque were not built for this.
من سمع رجلاً ينشد في مسجد ضالة، فليقل: لا ردها الله إليك؛ فإن المساجد لم تبن لهذاAnd al-Tirmidhi narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
When you see someone selling or buying in the Masjid then say: 'May Allah not profit your business.' And when you see someone announcing about something lost then say: 'May Allah not return it to you.'
إذا رأيتم من يبيع أو يبتاع في المسجد فقولوا: لا أربح الله تجارتك، وإذا رأيتم من ينشد فيه ضالة فقولوا: لا ردها الله عليكIs there among you anyone who fed a poor person today? Abu Bakr said: I entered the mosque and found a beggar asking, and I found a piece of bread in front of 'Abd al-Rahman, so I took it and gave it to him.
هل منكم أحد أطعم اليوم مسكينا؟ فقال أبو بكر : دخلت المسجد فإذا أنا بسائل يسأل، فوجدت كسرة خبز بين يدي عبد الرحمن فأخذتها فدفعتها إليهThis hadith indicates the permissibility of giving charity in the mosque, and the permissibility of asking for alms when there is a need. However, if the asking is for other than a need, or if he lies to people about what he mentions of his condition, or if he harms them in his asking, then he is prevented from asking. 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.