Abandoning an Old Mosque and Building a New One

Question

There was an old Congregational Mosque (congregational mosque) here. The common people together abandoned it and built a fine Congregational Mosque next to it, at a distance of 12 gaz (a unit of length, about a yard). Between the old and the new Congregational Mosque there is only a road, about 12 gaz wide: to the left of the road is the old mosque, and to the right is the new Congregational Mosque. For about 9 years prayers were performed in the new Congregational Mosque.

Answer

Nowhere in this entire letter is the reason stated for abandoning the first mosque and building the second — why, after all, was this done? If there was room in the old mosque and the second mosque was then built in rivalry with it, or merely for name, display, fame and pride, then building it was not right, and there will be no reward for building it: [ar]وقيل: كل مسجد بني…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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