QUESTION

In America, there is the practice of renting an apartment or an entire building and naming it a masjid. Is this correct, since they do not own the building, rather a non-Muslim owns it? Can we call it a masjid in this situation?

ANSWER by Shaykh Muhammad 'Umar Baazmool, instructor at Umm Al-Quraa University in Makkah

In this case, if they are praying the five daily prayers in it, then it is a masjid. It is a masjid, however it has not been made a waqf, it has not been designated as an endowment for Allaah, the Glorified and Exalted.

So can it take the ruling of a masjid in a general sense in this case, can it be considered a masjid from all angles? I say: If it is possible for them to be forced to leave this building... Can they be made to leave?

[ Questioner: It is possible that the owner may not renew the rental agreement... ]

I say: If this is the case, that it is possible that the owner may cancel the rental agreement and thus force them out and the building would no longer be a masjid anymore, then this is not a masjid, rather it is a musallaa. It is not to be called a masjid, nor are the rulings of the masjid to be applied to it.

It is only to be called a musallaa in this case, and Allaah knows best.

SOURCE

This was translated exclusively for www.bakkah.net from a cassette recording with the knowledge and permission of the shaykh, file no. AAMB045, dated 1423/8/17.

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