What is the definition of a mosque?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : It seems the issue is in defining the mosque: what is it?
The Shaykh : This is a good question. Without a doubt, a mosque is first the place that has been endowed for prayer. Then, to define this place that has been endowed as a mosque, it is necessary to delimit it with a tangible, physical boundary so that the rulings of the mosque apply to this portion of land that has been endowed as a mosque. Therefore, one must observe the boundary surrounding the mosque. A mosque may have a covered roof and an open courtyard that is not covered by a roof. In that case, this open courtyard, whether it is to the front of the mosque, the north, the west, or the east, as long as this courtyard is connected to the mosque, enclosed, and endowed for the mosque, it is part of the mosque. This is the answer to your question.
The Shaykh : This is a good question. Without a doubt, a mosque is first the place that has been endowed for prayer. Then, to define this place that has been endowed as a mosque, it is necessary to delimit it with a tangible, physical boundary so that the rulings of the mosque apply to this portion of land that has been endowed as a mosque. Therefore, one must observe the boundary surrounding the mosque. A mosque may have a covered roof and an open courtyard that is not covered by a roof. In that case, this open courtyard, whether it is to the front of the mosque, the north, the west, or the east, as long as this courtyard is connected to the mosque, enclosed, and endowed for the mosque, it is part of the mosque. This is the answer to your question.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.