What is the ruling on praying in a mosque of the Shi'ah and another that contains graves, given that it is possible to establish a prayer hall in the housing units?

The Shaykh : Anyone else?

The questioner : The last question.

The Shaykh : The last one, yes?

The questioner : Regarding the...

Another questioner: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Welcome, yes?

The questioner : Regarding the mosques there, O Shaykh, we may have asked you while we were in the car, meaning we told you about the mosque and said there are two mosques: one is a mosque of the Shi'ah, where they pray and the people of the Sunnah do not enter, and the other is half Shi'ah and half Sunnah. In both mosques, acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah) are committed, and there are also graves in them, and the Friday prayer is held there. Is it permissible for us to pray with them? We have two mosques in the housing units.

The Shaykh : You just mentioned something in addition to what you mentioned there when you asked me while I was in the car, is that not so?

The questioner : Mmmmm.

The Shaykh : Now we tell you that it is not permissible to pray in a mosque that contains graves. Therefore, you should pray in your homes or in a prayer hall that you establish for yourselves, until it becomes easy for you to build a mosque. On this occasion, meaning, you are strangers there and not from the people of the country, are you not?

The questioner : We are students studying!

The Shaykh : I know students who study; students study in their own countries and also in other countries.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : And my question, which did not receive an answer, is: are you from the people of the country or not?

The questioner : No, no, no, I am not from the people of the country.

The Shaykh: All right.

The questioner : You are strangers there.

The Shaykh : So, since you are strangers, is there anyone from the people of the country who responds to you in calling to the Book and the Sunnah and to righteous deeds?

The questioner : Yes, there are, but few.

The Shaykh : Few, well, so you should cooperate with them while you are there to build a mosque, even a modest one in terms of construction, meaning, it should not be grand or tall, and this is specifically prohibited by the Shari'ah. Instead of gathering in a house, they should gather in a prayer hall, which is the mosque. And until it becomes easy for you to build such a mosque, gather in a place that can accommodate the largest possible number of worshippers who follow the methodology of the Sunnah. This is the answer to the question. The matter is finished; now it is the turn of the Kuwaiti.