Building a Second Mosque on Jointly Owned Land Because of Discord

Question

In a certain village there has long been one solidly built mosque. For some days there has been discord among the Muslims, and they have split into two parties. Because of this discord one party built a new mosque; however, the place on which the mosque was built is jointly owned by the Muslims, and its owners are people of both parties. The question is whether it is permissible to pray in this mosque or not, and also in which mosque the reward is greater?

Answer

If it was built on the jointly owned land with the permission of all the owners, then prayer is permissible in both, and striving that prayer should not take place in either one of the mosques is a sin. However, in the first, that is, the old mosque, it is more virtuous.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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