A Mosque on Government Land

Question

For a long time a family has been in possession of a piece of government land, but they kept paying annual rent to the government. Some time ago this family made part of that land waqf for an elementary religious school and a mosque. The government objected, but when it heard the word “mosque” it gave permission and fixed a boundary for the land. Now the mosque has been built, congregational prayer has been held in it for six years, and children are studying in the school.

Answer

All this land was government property; it was not owned by those in whose possession it was — they used to pay rent for it, and they had no right to make it waqf or to build a mosque and an elementary religious school.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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