Warning about the types of innovations related to the construction of mosques.

The Shaykh : And among the most serious matters we have seen, as an example of what we are saying, is the renovation of al-Masjid al-Haram. Al-Masjid al-Haram used to be a single story for many years. When Allah bestowed upon the Saudi state the wealth He bestowed, the masses became captivated by it and saw it as a necessity to expand al-Masjid al-Haram. In reality, they did expand it, and of the same nature as the expansion was the construction of the second and third floors. But what is your opinion? Most of the pilgrims who go to fulfill what Allah has made obligatory upon them, when they pray on the second and third floors, their prayer is invalid. Do you know the reason? It is due to the building design. It was obligatory that when the plan for the mosque was laid out and its construction renewed with a second and third floor, some scholars of jurisprudence should be with the engineer and the planner, on the condition that they be jurists, on the condition that they be intelligent, not ignorant like the engineers, so that they would realize the danger of this plan that was executed. The Ka'bah is here, and the new building was constructed in a rectangular shape. If I pray here, this is the direction of the Ka'bah, but this person prays like this, meaning the row remains straight as if we were praying far from al-Masjid al-Haram, where the rows are straight. But whoever among you has performed Hajj and prayed on the ground of al-Masjid al-Haram will find that the rows become a circle, especially in the front rows. As for the back rows, unfortunately, there is also terrible chaos. But the important thing is that the prayer must be around the Ka'bah, such that every person, whether he is facing the western, eastern, northern, or southern direction, is at the same time facing what? A part of the Ka'bah, because he sees it. The scholars agree that whoever sees the Ka'bah itself and prays in a direction other than the Ka'bah itself has no prayer. As for the one who does not see the Ka'bah, there is leniency in that matter, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . This is for the one who does not see the Ka'bah. Now, you who are praying, the Ka'bah is before you, and the masses of praying individuals are few who have intelligence and jurisprudence; they have no ruling. All of them are praying in a direction other than the Ka'bah. The one here and the one here, how wide is this cup? Is it 5 cm? Those who face the 5 cm part of it, their prayer is valid. As for the others, they are praying toward the empty space, and so are those who pray in the other corner and the opposite corner. It is a terrible thing. This error could have been rectified. We spoke with some of the officials there when we were at the Islamic University. I was afraid that it would be: the second floor was built in a square or rectangular shape. The matter could have been rectified by tiling with a curved pattern, so that it would be... Of course, the one who wants to tile, this tiling should not just be tiles; he needs to be a jurist, or have a jurist with him. We must help each other, each with his specialty. And none of this was applied, of course, to our great regret.