One form of masjid dirar

Question

A certain mosque has been in active use (with prayers held in it) for a very long time. The mutawalli (trustee) of the mosque, because of certain aims and purposes of his own, demolished this mosque and had another mosque built 100 paces or 1000 paces away. Is it permissible to make the old mosque desolate in this way or not?

Answer

(1) A mosque that has already become a mosque in the Shari‘a may not be demolished without dire necessity; in dire necessity — for example, because of cramped space or dilapidation — it is permissible to pull it down and build it anew.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.