Ruling on Relocating Mosques and Their Contents

Our last message received is from listener Wasim Muhammad Ahmad Asiri and Ali Ahmad Zahid al-Fayfi, who says: I built a mosque of wood in one of the neighborhoods. I have moved to another neighborhood, and no one remains in the old one. I moved the mosque with me to the new neighborhood. Is there any sin upon us for moving it? Please inform us, may Allah guide you.
Answer: If the people move from one neighborhood to another—from an old neighborhood to a new one—and no one remains in the old neighborhood to pray in the mosque, then it is moved to the new neighborhood. There is no objection to dismantling it and moving its wood and equipment to the new mosque. Then its site is sold, and the proceeds are spent on building the new mosque, or on building another mosque. This is because leaving it there at that time would be leaving it idle without benefit. If the people move from one neighborhood to another, or from one place to another, and the mosques of the old neighborhood remain empty with no one praying in them, then they are demolished and their equipment is moved to other mosques for construction, or they are sold and their value is spent on building new mosques that Muslims need in other neighborhoods. This is the obligatory course of action, and they should never be left idle.