Indexed OCR Text

Spending qawwalī money for a masjid
Question
Is it permissible to spend money which was collected from a qawwalī
for a masjid?
Answer
It is makrūh, in fact impermissible, to use qawwalī money for a masjid.
Pure money must be used for a masjid.
Fatāwā Rahīmīyyah:
The masjid is the sanctified and pure house of Allah ta'ala. Halal and
pure wealth must be used in its construction and maintenance. It is
prohibited to use haram earnings for a masjid. A Hadith states: "Allah
ta'ālā accepts pure wealth." Thus, there is no permission from the
Shari'ah to use haram and doubtful money for the construction of a
masjid.1
Fatāwā Mahmūdīyyah:
Income which is purely haram cannot be used for one's personal self
or Dīnī works.2
To sum up, money from a qawwalī must not be spent on a masjid. One
must abstain from spending such monies on a masjid.
Allāh ta ālā knows best.
A masjid which was constructed with haram wealth
Question
If a masjid was constructed with haram wealth, will it be demolished?
Will salah be performed in it?
Answer
As a precaution, some elders are strict in this regard. They say that if it
was constructed with purely haram wealth and the majority of haram
wealth, it is makrūh tahrīmī to perform salah in it. It must be
demolished and another masjid built in its place or it must be shut
down. However, Hadrat Maulānā Zafar Ahmad 'Uthmānī rahimahullah
writes in Imdad al-Ahkam that if the amount of haram wealth which
was spent on it is given in charity, it will be permissible to perform
1 Fatāwā Rahīmīyyah, vol. 6, p. 99.
2 Fatāwā Mahmūdīyyah, vol. 5, p. 136.
821

salah in it provided when the goods are purchased, reference is not
made to the haram wealth. Observe the following:
Imdād al-Ahkām:
A masjid built with haram wealth refers to a masjid in which the
cement, bricks, timber and so on were taken by force or the land was
forcefully taken. If the money is from haram sources, then it is not
used in the masjid. Rather, the materials are bought with that money
and used in the masjid. If the materials were first bought on credit and
the money was later paid from haram wealth, then haram wealth was
not used in the masjid. If cash was paid for the materials, there could
be two scenarios: (1) The transaction was concluded after displaying
the haram wealth. For example, give me such and such materials for
these rupees. (2) The transaction was not concluded after displaying
the haram wealth. Instead, the person said: Give me items to the value
of ten or fifteen rupees. He then paid cash for the items from the
haram wealth. In the first case, the purchased items will be haram and
it is haram to use the items in the masjid. In the second case, the
purchased items are not haram and it is permissible to use them in the
masjid, even though the person is sinning for paying for the items
with haram wealth.1
Radd al-Muhtār:
(قوله اكتسب حراما إلخ) توضيح المسألة ما في التتارخانية حيث قال: رجل اكتسب مالا
من حرام ثم اشترى فهذا على خمسة أوجه: (1) أما إن دفع تلك الدراهم إلى البائع أولا ثم
اشترى منه بها (2) أو اشترى قبل الدفع بها ودفعها (3) أو اشترى قبل الدفع بها ودفع
غيرها (4) أو اشترى مطلقا ودفع تلك الدراهم (5) أو اشترى بدراهم أخر ودفع تلك
الدراهم. قال أبو نصر: يطيب له ولا يجب عليه أن يتصدق إلا في الوجه الأول، وإليه ذهب
الفقيه أبو الليث، لكن هذا خلاف ظاهر الرواية فإنه نص في الجامع الصغير: إذا غصب
ألفا فاشترى بها جارية وباعها بألفين تصدق بالربح. وقال الكرخي: في الوجه الأول والثاني
لا يطيب، وفي الثلاث الأخيرة يطيب، وقال أبو بكر: لا يطيب في الكل، لكن الفتوى
الآن على قول الكرخي دفعا للحرج عن الناس.
1 Imdād al-Ahkām, vol. 3, p. 343.
822

وفي الولوالجية: وقال بعضهم: لا يطيب في الوجوه كلها وهو المختار، ولكن الفتوى اليوم
على قول الكرخي دفعا للحرج لكثرة الحرام وعلى هذا مشى المصنف في كتاب الغصب تبعا
للدرر وغيرها.1
Allāh ta'ālā knows best.
Teaching children in the masjid and taking a salary for it
Question
Is it permissible for the imam of a masjid to teach children in the
masjid and take a salary for his teaching?
Answer
Al-Fatāwā al-Hindīyyah states:
وأما المعلّم الذي يعلّم الصبيان بأجر إذا جلس في المسجد يعلّم الصبيان لضرورة الحر
وغيره لا يكره.2
Ahsan al-Fatāwā:
It is not permissible for a paid teacher to teach in the masjid. If there is
no place anywhere outside the masjid, his teaching will be permissible
provided the following conditions are met:
1. Instead of worrying about the salary, he must find a job in his
spare time so that he can be self-sufficient.
2. His teaching must not interfere with salah, dhikr, recitation of
the Qur'an, and other acts of worship.
3. Due attention must be given to the purity, cleanliness and
sanctity of the masjid.
4. Under-age children and those of no understanding must not
be brought in the masjid.3
Fatāwā Mahmūdīyyah:
It is makruh to pay someone to teach solely in the masjid especially
when there is a room available near the masjid where education can be
1 رد المحتار: 23515.
2 الفتاوى الهندية: 11011.
3 Ahsan al-Fatawā, vol. 6, p. 458.
823

imparted. Small children cannot differentiate between purity and
impurity.1
Jadīd Fiqhī Masā'il:
The jurists say that it is not permissible to teach in a masjid while
taking a wage for it. This is because a masjid is a place of worship and
not a place of earning a living. However, the conditions of our time
demand that permission be given because generally the means are not
available and other suitable places [for teaching] are not found. If
strictness is adopted in this regard, it will result in severe damage and
also be against Shar'ī prudence because students of secular schools will
be deprived of even the little time which they get for learning the
fundamentals of Din. Furthermore, the closure of madaris of this
nature will result in the people of the locality being deprived of
education. Some elders are overly strict in this regard whereas it can
be gauged from the books of jurisprudence that education can be
imparted in a masjid at times of necessity. Yes, if another place is
available, education should be imparted there, and not in the masjid.
Quoted from 'Ālamgīrī and Khulāsah al-Fatāwā.2
وفي البزازية: وتعليم الصبيان فيه (أي المسجد) بلا أجر وبالأجر يجوز.3
There are differing texts in the Hanafi books of jurisprudence with
regard to taking a wage and teaching in the masjid. Some books out
rightly state that it is makruh, e.g. Fath al-Qadir, Sharh Munyatul Musallī,
al-Ashbāh wa an-Nazā'ir, Fatāwā Nawāzil, Fatāwā Qādī Khan and so on.
Other books consider it permissible on the basis of necessity, e.g.
Khulāsah al-Fatāwā, Fatāwā 'Ālamgīrī. However, al-Fatāwā al-Bazzāzīyyah
out rightly states that it is permissible, as in the above-quoted text.
Based on the needs of our times and the importance of Islamic
education, if we bear in mind the text of al-Fatawā al-Bazzazīyyah and
say that it is permissible without any reservation, then - Allah willing
- it will not be wrong. However, the respect and sanctity of the masjid
must be borne in mind so that one does not act against the texts.
It is my view that if children of understanding age are taught in the
masjid and payment is accepted for it, there ought to be a leeway for
this because the benefit of this education will manifest itself in the
1 Fatāwā Mahmūdīyyah, vol. 10, p. 150.
2 Jadīd Fiqhī Masā'il, vol. 1, p. 73.
3 الفتاوى البزازية: 6\357.
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rectification of the children and their becoming religious. This
teaching is not like a personal craft, it will fall under the classification
of general benefit for the Muslims, just as it is permissible for an imam
to accept payment for imamat in a masjid because it is synonymous to
proliferating Dīn. Teaching in the masjid is similar to imamat. Yes, if
there is a place to teach outside the masjid, teaching must be done
there.
Allāh ta'ālā knows best.
History of the masjid mihrab
Question
When did the practice of building a mihrab in a masjid commence?
Answer
Proof for a mihrab is found from the era of Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi
wa sallam and the Sahābah radiyallahu 'anhum.
قال الإمام البيهقي: اخبرنا أبو سعد احمد بن محمد الصوفي انبأ أبو احمد بن عدى الحافظ ثنا
بن صاعد ثنا ابراهيم بن سعيد ثنا محمد ابن حجر الحضري حدثنا سعيد بن عبد الجبار
بن وائل عن ابيه عن امه عن وائل بن حجر رضي الله عنه قال حضرت رسول الله صلى
الله علیه وسلم حین نهض إلى السمجد فدخل المحراب ثم رفع یدیه بالتکبیر.1
... Wā'il radiyallāhu 'anhu narrates: I went to Rasūlullāh sallallahu 'alayhi wa
sallam when he proceeded to the masjid. He entered the mihrab and then
raised his hands for the takbīr (Allahu Akbar).
'Aun al-Ma'būd:
قلت: ما قاله القاري من أن المحاريب من المحدثات بعده صلى الله عليه وسلم فيه نظر،
لأن وجود المحراب زمن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يثبت من بعض الروايات، أخرج
البيهقي في السنن الكبرى من طريق سعيد بن عبد الجبار بن وائل عن أبيه عن أمه عن
وائل بن حجر قال: حضرت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نهض إلى المسجد فدخل
1 رواه البيهقي في سننه الکبری: 2\30.
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المحراب ثم رفع يديه بالتكبير، الحديث. وأم عبد الجبار هي مشهورة بأم يحيى كما في رواية
1
الطبراني في المعجم الصغير.
Muqaddamāt al-Imām al-Kautharī:
وليس عدم ذكر ام عبد الجبار فى سنده بضائره لانها لا تشذ عن جمهرة الروايات اللاتى
قال عنهن الذيي ولا علمت فى النساء من اتهمت ولا من تركوبا على أنها زوجة صحابى.
(مقدمات الامام الكوثرى ص٤٢٥).
We learn from the above Hadith that a mihrab did exist during the era
of Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Furthermore, this Hadith is
supported by another narration:
وهي رواية عند الطبراني من حديث سهل بن سعد رضي الله عنه قال كان رسول الله صلى
الله عليه وسلم يصلي إلى خشبة، فلما بني له المحراب تقدم إليه. الحديث. 2
وفيه عبد المهیمن بن عباس وهو ضعيف. 3
... Rasūlullāh sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam used to perform salāh in line with a
wooden post. When a mihrab was built for him, he stepped forward towards it.
Nasb ar-Rāyah and Tuhfah al-Ahwadhī:
ولما استمر عمل أهل المدينة في محراب النبي ومقامه.
4
.. the practice of the people of Madinah continued as regards the mihrab of
Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam and its location.
Fath al-Qadir:
(قوله في الطاق) أي المحراب ... ولا يخفى أن امتياز الإمام مقرر مطلوب في الشرع في حق
المكان حتى كان التقدم واجبا عليه، وغاية ما هنا كونه في خصوص مكان، ولا أثر لذلك فإنه
بني في المساجد المحاريب من لدن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، ولو لم تبن كانت السنة
1 عون المعبود: 2\104.
2 رواه الطبراني في الكبير: 12616.
3 قاله الهيثمي في مجمع الزوائد: 5212.
4 نصب الراية: 33311، وتحفة الأحوذي: 2\50.
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أن يتقدم في محاذاة ذلك المكان لأنه يحاذي وسط الصف وهو المطلوب، إذ قيامه في غير
محاذاته مكروه.1
'Umdah al-Qārī:
وذكر ابو البقاء ان جبريل عليه السلام وضع محراب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم
مسامت الكعبة. (عمدة القارى: ٣٦٠/٣، باب فضل استقبال القبلة).
... Hadrat Jibra'īl 'alayhis salām came and placed a mihrab for Rasūlullāh
sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam in the direction of the Ka'bah.
It is gauged from the investigation of 'Allamah 'Aynī rahimahullah that
mihrabs were in existence during the era of Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi
wa sallam.
Fatāwā Qādī Khăn:
وجهة الكعبة تعرف بالدليل والدليل فى الامصار والقرى المحاريب التى نصبتها الصحابة
والتابعون رضى الله عنهم. (فتاوى قاضى خان: ٦٩/١).
The direction of the Ka'bah is gauged through an indicator. The indicators in
the cities and villages are the mihrabs which the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum
and Tābi'un placed.
Tahtāwī 'Alā Marāqī al-Falah:
(وجهتها الخ) قالوا جهتها تعرف بالدليل فالدليل فى الامصار والقرى المحاريب التى
نصبتها الصحابة والتابعون فعلينا اتباعهم فى استقبال المحاريب المنصوبة. (حاشية
الطحطاوی، ص: ٢١٢، قدیمی).
Al-Mabsūt:
ومعرفة الجهة اما بدليل يدل عليه او بالتحرى عند انقطاع الادلة فمن الدليل المحاريب
المنصوبة فى كل موضع لان ذلك كان باتفاق من الصحابة رضى الله عنهم ومن بعدبم.
(المبسوط للاعلامة السرخسي: ١٩٠/١٠).
Al-Bahr ar-Rā'iq:
1 فتح القدير: 41311.
827

والدليل فى الامصار والقرى المحاريب التى نصبتها الصحابة والتابعون فعلينا اتباعهم فى
استقبال المحاريب المنصوبة. (البحر الرائق ٢٨٥/١، وبكذا فى الهندية ٦٣/١).
Al-Mausū'ah al-Fiqhīyyah:
ولا يجوز الاجتهاد عند جمهور الفقهاء مع وجود محاريب الصّحابة، وكذلك محاريب
المسلمين الّتي تكرّرت الصّلوات إليها.
وأيضا تحت استقبال محاريب الصّحابة والتّابعين: ذهب الجمهور إلى أنّ محاريب الصّحابة،
كجامع دمشق، وجامع عمرٍو بالفسطاط، ومسجد الكوفة والقيروان والبصرة، لا يجوز
الاجتهاد معها في إثبات الجهة، لكن لا يمنع ذلك من الانحراف اليسير يمنةً أو يسرةً، ولا
تلحق بمحاريب النّبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إذ لا يجوز فيها أدنى انحرافٍ.
Fatāwā Ibn Taymīyyah:
فقالوا: هذا المحراب الذي كان يصلي فيه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ثم أبو بكر، ثم
عمر، ثم عثمان، ثم الأئمة، وهلم جرا.1
This is the mihrab in which Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam used to
perform salāh. So did Abū Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthmān, the imāms and so on.
We learn from the above Ahadith and juridical texts that mihrabs were
in existence during the eras of Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam
and the Sahabah radiyallahu 'anhum. However, some narrations state
that 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Azīz rahimahullah introduced them.
Muqaddamāt al-Imām al-Kautharī:
حديث عبد المهيمن بن عباس يقول فيه لم يكن لمسجد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم
محراب فى زمن ثم أحدث عمر بن عبد العزيز. (مقدمات الامام الكوثرى، ص: ٤٢٦، ط:
سعيد).
.. he states in it that the Masjid of Rasūlullāh sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam did
not have a mihrab during his era. 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Azīz then introduced it.
The reply to this is that the narrator, 'Abd al-Muhaymin ibn 'Abbas is a
weak narrator, so this narration is weak. Another narration of 'Abd al-
Muyahmin ibn 'Abbas affirms the existence of a mihrab. This was
1 فتاوى ابن تیمیة: 22\428.
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quoted previously from Tabaranī. The two will be reconciled as
follows:
الواقع ان المحراب كان موجوداً والذى زاد فيه عمر بن عبد العزيز ايام امرته بالمدينة المنورة
سنة ٨٣ بو التجويف البالغ فى المحراب. (مقدمات الامام الكوثرى ص ٤٢٦).
The fact of the matter is that a mihrab was already in existence. What 'Umar
ibn 'Abd al-'Azīz did during his rule in Madinah Munawwarah in 83 A.H. is
that he made the mihrab much deeper.
This is an excellent reconciliation of the two narrations.
Allāh ta'ālā knows best.
The number of steps in Rasulullah's pulpit
Question
How many steps did Rasūlullah's pulpit have? If they were three, will it
be permissible to have more, or will it be a bid'ah?
Answer
Fatāwā ash-Shāmī states:
ومنبره صلى الله عليه وسلم كان ثلاث درج غير المسماة بالمستراح.
1
Rasulullah's pulpit had three steps apart from the one which is referred to as
the mustarāh.
Ahsan al-Fatāwā:
Rasūlullah's pulpit had three steps. It is preferable to have the same
number, but also permissible to have more or less.2
We learn from the above texts that Rasulullah's pulpit had three steps,
but it is permissible to make more. However, it is better and preferable
to make it in line with Rasūlullah's pulpit.
Imdād al-Ahkām:
قال الحافظ في فتح الباري: أن في الأحاديث الصحيحة أنه كان يستند إلى الجذع إذا خطب،
ولم يزل المنبر على حاله ثلاث درجات حتى زاده مروان في خلافة معاوية ست درجات من
أسفله ثم ذكر سبب ذلك.
1 فتاوى الشامي: 16112.
2 Ahsan al-Fatāwā, vol. 4, p. 120.
829

وروى أبو داود عن تميم الداري أنه قال لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ألا أتخذ لك منبراً
يا رسول الله يجمع عظامك قال: بلى فأتخذ لم منبراً مرقاتين. (رقم: ١٠٨٣) إسناده صحيح.
وقال سيدي مولاي خليل أحمد دام مجده (في شرحه قال الحافظ: وإسناده جيد) فاتخذ له
منبراً مرقاتين أى درجتين وبين ما فى الصحيح أن ثلث درجات منافات.
قلت: الذي قال: مرقاتين لم يعتبر الدرجة التي كان يجلس عليها النبى صلى الله عليه
وسلم. (ص ١٧٨ ج ٢).
We learn from the above that the pulpit of Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi
wa sallam had three steps in total together with the one on which he
used to sit. The ones which he used to climb on were two. We thus
conclude that he had two steps to climb on, and one to sit on, totalling
three. As for what Shamī states:
ومنبره صلى الله عليه وسلم كان ثلاث درج غير المسماة بالمستراح.
The mustarah does not refer to the step on which he used to sit, but the
support which was made so that he could rest his back against it.
Shāmī is saying that the mustarah - the support for the back - must not
be included in the three steps. Rather, they are separate from it. This
statement does not contradict the text of Fath al-Barī and 'Umdah al-
Qārī. If the mustarah is taken to mean the step on which Rasūlullah
sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam sat, as is the view of the second person [in
the above text], and is considered to be in contradiction with the texts
of Fath al-Barī and 'Umdah al-Qarī, then the text of Shami cannot have
preference because he is stating it without any chain of transmission,
while the statements of Fath al-Barī and 'Umdah al-Qarī are supported
by authentic chains. Furthermore, 'Allamah 'Ayni [the author of
'Umdah al-Qārī] is more proficient than 'Allamah Shāmī in the science
of narrations. As for Hafiz Ibn Hajar [the author of Fath al-Bārī], his
rank is clearer than the sun.1
Allāh ta ālā knows best.
1 Imdad al-Ahkām, p. 195.
830

Translator's Note
English translation completed on 08 Jumādā al-Ukhrā 1437 A.H./17
March 2016. We pray to Allah ta'ala to accept this humble effort and to
make it a source of our salvation in this world and in the Hereafter.
رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيْعُ الْعَلِيْمُ وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيْمُ
As with all human endeavours, there are bound to be errors, mistakes
and slip-ups in the translation. I humbly request the reader to inform
me of them so that these could be corrected in future editions.
Constructive criticism and suggestions will be highly appreciated. I
can be contacted via e-mail: maulanamahomedy@gmail.com
Was salām
Mahomed Mahomedy
Durban, South Africa.
831