Islam Question and Answer - Selling a mosque in order to buy a new mosque in a better location

Sun 5/4/1431 - 21/3/2010

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» Is there more reward if the congregation is greater?.

» He has a partnership in a commercial venture on the basis that every time they buy a dozen with his money, he will have ten riyals.

» How children can honour their parents.

» He got to know a girl through the internet and he wants to marry her but her father is refusing.

» The earliest time for Jumu‘ah prayer.

» Taking a sample of clothing from a store and making something similar with the intention of selling it.

» He owns an café in which men and women mix.

» She had a miscarriage after one month, and that coincided with the time of her period - should she pray?.

» Celebrating innovated festivals.

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Principles of Fiqh » Jurisprudence and Islamic Rulings » Acts of Worship » Prayer » Rulings on Mosques

Selling a mosque in order to buy a new mosque in a better location

A question has come up in our community here in Victoria, BC, Canada regarding the selling of our Masjid property.
Alhamdulillaah, a few years ago we purchased a property and converted it into a Masjid. Things are going quite well there. Now we have seen another property and many brothers feel that it is a better location and so on. Would it be permissible for us in such a case to sell the present Masjid so that we could buy the second property which we prefer?

Praise be to Allaah.

We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, who replied as follows:

“Praise be to Allaah. Yes, this is permissible, but on the condition that the (Muslim) neighbours agree. If the Muslim neighbours of the mosque who pray there agree, then there is nothing wrong with it, because the other mosque may be far away from them, and this mosque is freehold.”

Question:

If the Muslims in that city are scattered and live far away from one another, whose opinion should count?

Answer:

“They should heed the opinion of those among them who live near the mosque, so that the mosque will not be so far away from them that it becomes difficult for them to attend.

Question:

If the other mosque or new mosque will benefit a greater number of Muslims, what should they do?

Answer:

“I think that they should leave the old mosque as it is and build another, new mosque in the other place. If they cannot build the other mosque because they have little money, I think they should leave the old mosque as it is so that its neighbours are not adversely affected by the new mosque being too far away.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen