The Ruling on Churches in Muslim Lands

Question:
Regarding churches: Are they obligatory for the Imam, whether they existed before the conquest or after it?

Answer:
If they conquer lands, their churches remain if they are outside the Arabian Peninsula, such as in Sham, Iraq, and similar regions. They are allowed to keep them. If there is a need to pray in them, one may pray in them, such as in the case of rain or sun, if there is a need; there is no harm. However, they should not face the images; they should be to the right or left of them.
Q: Are they allowed to build a church for the sake of public benefit?
The Shaykh: No, they do not build new ones; rather, their churches that they were upon when they accepted Islam remain.
Q: If they accepted Islam...?
The Shaykh: If they accepted Islam, they remove them, but the churches for which they paid the jizyah (tax on protected non-Muslims) and which are in their possession remain.
Q: If there are no Christians left?
The Shaykh: If there are no Christians, they do not keep them; they convert them into houses or something else.