If Shi‘is Give Their Mosque to Sunnis: Taking the Management from the Old Shi‘i Administrator

Question

An old mosque, a hundred and fifty years old, belonged to the Shi‘i gentlemen, and only they prayed in it. With the changes of time only one household of theirs has remained. Their mutawalli (trustee of the waqf) gave the mosque to the people of Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jama‘a, saying: “Perform your own adhan and congregation.” But the management is in their hands. We want the management to be in our hands; they do not want to give it up. What is the ruling on taking the management from them?

Answer

Since they have been managing the affairs of the mosque from old times, and no harm or breach of trust (khiyana) on their part has been established, they should not be removed from this management; rather, one should cooperate with them. Yes, if they themselves relinquish the management, that is another matter.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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