A group of residents from the neighborhood built a mosque and appointed a mu'adhdhin and an imam from among them, despite the existence of a nearby mosque and another nearby endowment mosque, given that
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The questioner : A group of residents from the neighborhood built a mosque and appointed a mu'adhdhin and an imam from among them, despite the existence of a nearby mosque and another nearby endowment mosque, given that when they travel during the holidays, the mosque is closed and no one prays in it. Is the salary that the mu'adhdhin and the imam receive from the endowments lawful or forbidden, as they are paid employees?
The Shaykh : First, it must be known that it is not permissible to build a mosque when another mosque is nearby, because this resembles the Mosque of Harm, in which Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, forbade the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to stand, because the hypocrites built a mosque near the Mosque of Quba to divide the believers and to harm them. So Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said:[At-Tawbah 9:107] until He said: [At-Tawbah 9:108] These are the ones who built a mosque when other mosques are nearby. Even if it is not disbelief, if Allah wills, and not harm, meaning they did not intend to cause harm, it still contains the third meaning, which is dividing the believers. Therefore, it is not permissible for them to build this mosque. It is also not permissible for those responsible for mosques to grant permission to anyone who wants to build a mosque to build one. Rather, it is obligatory to look at whether these neighborhoods need mosques to be spaced apart or not. If they do not need them, the first mosque remains the mosque, and if these people are guided by Allah and pray in it, that is what is required. If they do not pray in it, the sin is upon them. As for every group or community taking a mosque for themselves to pray in, and leaving it during the holidays and the like, there is no doubt that this is a great error. It is not permissible for those responsible for mosques to allow them to do so. As for those who did what they did, it is not lawful for the imam to take a salary for that, because he is not the imam of a mosque for the Muslims, but rather he is the imam of a mosque for this group only. Therefore, the mosque is closed, as mentioned in the question, when they go on holiday.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : First, it must be known that it is not permissible to build a mosque when another mosque is nearby, because this resembles the Mosque of Harm, in which Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, forbade the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to stand, because the hypocrites built a mosque near the Mosque of Quba to divide the believers and to harm them. So Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said:
And [there are] those [hypocrites] who took for themselves a mosque for causing harm and disbelief and division among the believers and as a station for whoever had warred against Allah and His Messenger
وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مَسْجِدًا ضِرَارًا وَكُفْرًا وَتَفْرِيقًا بَيْنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَإِرْصَادًا لِمَنْ حَارَبَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُDo not stand [for prayer] within it - ever
لا تَقُمْ فِيهِ أَبَدًاThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.