Ruling on opposing the expansion of the mosque

Question:
This questioner, 'Az al-Din (M. S.), says: A man prays with us in the front row, and he is a neighbor of the mosque, but he stands against the expansion of the mosque, claiming that it causes him harm, whereas there is no harm to him at all, but we do not know why. The question is: How do we deal with this man? And how do we behave toward him? He has been doing this for more than three years, and he is a man who has reached sixty years of age. Please give us a ruling, O honorable Shaykh?

Answer:
There is an issue with the question; it is not clear. But if the intention is that he is objecting to the expansion of the mosque, and the mosque is small and they want to expand it, and he is objecting, then they should not look at his opinion. The imam and the congregation should look at it, and if it is easy to expand it from one side, or from one of the sides, they should expand it, and not pay attention to his words.
As for if the intention is that he does not pray in the expansion, and the mosque has been expanded, but he does not pray in the expansion; this is a mistake on his part. He must pray in the front row, even if it is in the expansion. The expansion was only brought about to widen the mosque. So if the meaning is that he is scrupulous about praying in the expansion and prays in the old mosque, this is a mistake. Rather, if people line up in the expansion, he should line up with them, whether the expansion is to the south of the mosque, or the north, or the west, or the east. The point is that the expansion is to be prayed in. So there is an issue with the question; it is not clear.

The presenter: May Allah reward you.