In one of the mosques, some young men are selling tapes of the Qur'an, Islamic songs, and sermons by the mosque's imam. When they were told...

Eid Abbasi : In one of the mosques in Damascus, some young men are selling recording tapes of the Qur'an, Islamic songs, and sermons by the mosque's preacher. When they were told that selling in the mosque is not permissible, especially since they are advertising these tapes on the walls, they replied that this is for a purely Islamic purpose and not for trade. What is the opinion on this?

The Shaykh : This has nothing to do with Islam. This follows the European principle: "The end justifies the means." The Messenger (peace be upon him) forbade selling in the mosques. This is a foreign philosophy in Islam: that if it is for Islam, then selling in the mosque of Islam is permissible. In reality, this means that, had time not been short, I would have reminded you in the next session. I would make my speech a reminder and warning about the young people in the Salafi da'wah, as they claim, who are keen on the Book and the Sunnah, yet they commit the greatest act of independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) and cannot explain a verse or a hadith. They permit and forbid based on a non-Islamic principle: "The end justifies the means." So, we must remind these people in a session, if Allah wills, for about half an hour, perhaps there will be a reminder in it.