Ruling on making mosques circular in shape
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Our brother 'Abd al-Mu'in ibn Ghaith al-Za'ani, it appears from the city of al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, has a question. He says: There are mosques built in a circular shape, like a sphere. You find the first row has five worshippers, and the one after it is longer, and so on, then the other rows or the last ones return to the number of the first rows. He asks: Is this style of construction permissible for mosques, or how do you direct people, if you please?
Answer: I do not know of any basis for this construction in mosques. I do not know of any basis for it. The prescribed way is for mosques to be spacious and level so that the rows are straight and so that it is wider for the worshippers and more beneficial for the people of the town. Mosques should be square and level; this is what is better and preferable. As for whether this is forbidden or not permissible, that is a matter of consideration. However, it is contrary to what is better and contrary to the custom in building mosques. But whether it is forbidden is a matter of consideration. The mosque may be spacious such that this does not harm it. It may be spacious, with the first rows being few and the last rows few, and the middle ones wide, so that the objective is achieved. But as for whether this is the best or not the best, what appears to me is that the best is for the rows to be equal and for the mosque to be square so that the first, second, and last rows are all close together. This is the best and most beneficial for the Muslims. And Allah, Exalted and Majestic is He, knows best.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. If there is a resemblance to the construction of churches, Your Eminence the Shaykh, what do you say?
The Shaykh: If there is a resemblance, it should be avoided. If there is imitation of the churches, it is obligatory to avoid it; due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 4031Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani), so it is not permissible to build them in the shape of ... the churches. It is not permissible for a believer to imitate the enemies of Allah in their churches or in anything else. Yes.
The presenter: What Your Eminence the Shaykh knows regarding the style of mosques is that they remain square or rectangular, or that these circular shapes are also considered?
Answer: The objective is that there should be no resemblance to the churches, the synagogues of the Jews, and the churches of the Christians. Rather, they should be in the manner of the Muslims in their mosques. Whether they are equal in length or in shortness, the objective is that their rows are equal and close together, except for an incidental cause, such as the ground being narrow or ... at its bottom or at its front, so that some of the rows become shorter due to a cause. There is no harm in this matter; in this, it is broad. Yes.
The presenter: But for the sake of architectural style or engineering art?
The Shaykh: This is the matter of discussion. It should be considered in that the art that the Muslims followed in their mosques, and beware of imitating the enemies of Allah in their churches. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Answer: I do not know of any basis for this construction in mosques. I do not know of any basis for it. The prescribed way is for mosques to be spacious and level so that the rows are straight and so that it is wider for the worshippers and more beneficial for the people of the town. Mosques should be square and level; this is what is better and preferable. As for whether this is forbidden or not permissible, that is a matter of consideration. However, it is contrary to what is better and contrary to the custom in building mosques. But whether it is forbidden is a matter of consideration. The mosque may be spacious such that this does not harm it. It may be spacious, with the first rows being few and the last rows few, and the middle ones wide, so that the objective is achieved. But as for whether this is the best or not the best, what appears to me is that the best is for the rows to be equal and for the mosque to be square so that the first, second, and last rows are all close together. This is the best and most beneficial for the Muslims. And Allah, Exalted and Majestic is He, knows best.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. If there is a resemblance to the construction of churches, Your Eminence the Shaykh, what do you say?
The Shaykh: If there is a resemblance, it should be avoided. If there is imitation of the churches, it is obligatory to avoid it; due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
He who copies any people is one of them.
من تشبه بقوم فهو منهمThe presenter: What Your Eminence the Shaykh knows regarding the style of mosques is that they remain square or rectangular, or that these circular shapes are also considered?
Answer: The objective is that there should be no resemblance to the churches, the synagogues of the Jews, and the churches of the Christians. Rather, they should be in the manner of the Muslims in their mosques. Whether they are equal in length or in shortness, the objective is that their rows are equal and close together, except for an incidental cause, such as the ground being narrow or ... at its bottom or at its front, so that some of the rows become shorter due to a cause. There is no harm in this matter; in this, it is broad. Yes.
The presenter: But for the sake of architectural style or engineering art?
The Shaykh: This is the matter of discussion. It should be considered in that the art that the Muslims followed in their mosques, and beware of imitating the enemies of Allah in their churches. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.