What is the ruling on giving alms that are spent on decorating the walls of mosques with verses and luxurious stones, and the like?
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The questioner : Regarding the decoration, it is not in houses, it is in the mosques now. It has appeared, meaning, they decorate the mosque with verses from the Qur'an on the walls?
The student : Repeat, repeat this point.
The questioner : Decorating the mosques, not houses, the decoration. They decorate the mosque in front of the mihrab, and on the walls with verses from the Qur'an, wide verses that cost exorbitant amounts of money. The cost of exorbitant amounts of money for carpeting the mosques, and building the mosques, has become much extravagance. So, do people mean, give alms to the mosques, or are they sinning in the zakah?
The Shaykh : This differs. If it is predominant in his opinion that this money will be spent on what is not permissible, then he does not give it. This is the ruling, and this is a clear matter. The decoration of mosques in general is prohibited by the Shari'ah. But if the decoration is with verses, then the prohibition in it is doubled for what we mentioned earlier. And it came in Sunan Abu Dawud from the hadith of Ibn Abbas.
The questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah. Welcome.
The questioner : You are illuminating us, my professor.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you.
The questioner : May Allah grant you success.
The Shaykh : How are you?
The questioner : May Allah preserve you.
Another questioner : Our Shaykh, the hadith of Ibn Abbas, may Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The student : Repeat, repeat this point.
The questioner : Decorating the mosques, not houses, the decoration. They decorate the mosque in front of the mihrab, and on the walls with verses from the Qur'an, wide verses that cost exorbitant amounts of money. The cost of exorbitant amounts of money for carpeting the mosques, and building the mosques, has become much extravagance. So, do people mean, give alms to the mosques, or are they sinning in the zakah?
The Shaykh : This differs. If it is predominant in his opinion that this money will be spent on what is not permissible, then he does not give it. This is the ruling, and this is a clear matter. The decoration of mosques in general is prohibited by the Shari'ah. But if the decoration is with verses, then the prohibition in it is doubled for what we mentioned earlier. And it came in Sunan Abu Dawud from the hadith of Ibn Abbas.
The questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah. Welcome.
The questioner : You are illuminating us, my professor.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you.
The questioner : May Allah grant you success.
The Shaykh : How are you?
The questioner : May Allah preserve you.
Another questioner : Our Shaykh, the hadith of Ibn Abbas, may Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh: Yes.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.