What is the ruling on the green light placed on the minarets of mosques?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Our brother, regarding the green light on the minaret.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The young people, may Allah guide them, put up a green light, and we tried to oppose them, but we found that it would become a fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) at the time of taking over the mosque, if Allah wills, if we were to cancel the green light.
The Shaykh : My brother, this green light must have switches.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : All right, practice not turning on the switches, and over time, give them [the light].
The questioner : ... O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Hmm.
The questioner : ... the green light.
The Shaykh : It is extravagance and wasting money.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Even if it were said, for example, that the electricity here is from the state or the government.
The questioner : The truth is, my Shaykh, now there is ... the benefit ... distinguishing the minaret during the Maghrib, 'Isha', or Fajr prayers, so the passerby knows that this is a mosque. So if it is used only at the times of Maghrib, 'Isha', or Fajr, what is your opinion?
The Shaykh : By Allah, it is him.
The questioner : I mean, it is not lit for the Fajr prayer; it is not left lit for the Fajr prayer ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : A sign.
The Shaykh : I think many mosques remain lit all night long.
The student : By Allah, my Shaykh, these are violations by individuals, not by the endowments. The endowments here have an official order, a formal document, that strictly forbids lighting the minarets after the 'Isha' prayer. It is forbidden to leave them on. Yes, but some people are enthusiastic, but they see it as aesthetic. So we must ... either this or keep it or something like that.
The Shaykh : ... the table here.
The student : We find, I mean, the conflict with people and the problems. Why don't you leave the minaret? You are putting ... you are doing this, and so on, of this kind of talk. But as for the endowments, it is an official order, forbidden, except, of course, on some occasions, we light it for three or four days.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student : ... .
The Shaykh : Sleep well.
The student : Come to your device.
Another student : Some of them said to put up a green light, and some said not to put it up, and our brother here asked me. I told him that the Shaykh was once asked about it, and he said, I mean, if we want to include it in the masalih al-mursalah (public benefit), I mean, since it is customary that the minaret of a mosque has a green light at the times of prayer, I mean, there is no harm in doing it. A simple minaret with a green light on it ... how many did they put up ... .
Another student : The four ... with one switch.
Another student : How?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The young people, may Allah guide them, put up a green light, and we tried to oppose them, but we found that it would become a fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) at the time of taking over the mosque, if Allah wills, if we were to cancel the green light.
The Shaykh : My brother, this green light must have switches.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : All right, practice not turning on the switches, and over time, give them [the light].
The questioner : ... O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Hmm.
The questioner : ... the green light.
The Shaykh : It is extravagance and wasting money.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Even if it were said, for example, that the electricity here is from the state or the government
Beware of extravagance, even if it is on a flowing river.
إيَّاك والسرف ولو على نهرٍ جارٍThe questioner : The truth is, my Shaykh, now there is ... the benefit ... distinguishing the minaret during the Maghrib, 'Isha', or Fajr prayers, so the passerby knows that this is a mosque. So if it is used only at the times of Maghrib, 'Isha', or Fajr, what is your opinion?
The Shaykh : By Allah, it is him.
The questioner : I mean, it is not lit for the Fajr prayer; it is not left lit for the Fajr prayer ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : A sign.
The Shaykh : I think many mosques remain lit all night long.
The student : By Allah, my Shaykh, these are violations by individuals, not by the endowments. The endowments here have an official order, a formal document, that strictly forbids lighting the minarets after the 'Isha' prayer. It is forbidden to leave them on. Yes, but some people are enthusiastic, but they see it as aesthetic. So we must ... either this or keep it or something like that.
The Shaykh : ... the table here.
The student : We find, I mean, the conflict with people and the problems. Why don't you leave the minaret? You are putting ... you are doing this, and so on, of this kind of talk. But as for the endowments, it is an official order, forbidden, except, of course, on some occasions, we light it for three or four days.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student : ... .
The Shaykh : Sleep well.
The student : Come to your device.
Another student : Some of them said to put up a green light, and some said not to put it up, and our brother here asked me. I told him that the Shaykh was once asked about it, and he said, I mean, if we want to include it in the masalih al-mursalah (public benefit), I mean, since it is customary that the minaret of a mosque has a green light at the times of prayer, I mean, there is no harm in doing it. A simple minaret with a green light on it ... how many did they put up ... .
Another student : The four ... with one switch.
Another student : How?
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.