Mutawallis Claiming Ownership of a Mosque

Question

There is a mosque whose mutawallis (trustees) say that no Muslim needs to interfere in this mosque, nor can anyone give it help, whether in person or with money, because it is our property and our estate. This arose because the mosque building has become extremely dilapidated; for about six years even whitewashing and the like has not been done. A group of Muslims, a great multitude, collected donations to have this mosque repaired.

Answer

A mosque belongs to Allah Most High alone; it is not the estate or property of anyone else: [ar]إِنَّ ٱلْمَسَـٰجِدَ لِلَّهِ[/ar] “Indeed, the mosques belong to Allah.” So this statement of the mutawallis is entirely wrong. Since prayer and congregation take place there, everyone has the right to pray there, and everyone’s prayer there is valid.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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