Demolishing an Old Mosque to Build a New, Sturdy One

Question

The city’s Congregational Mosque (congregational mosque) dates from old times and is small. Now there is an intention to rebuild it from scratch so that the mosque can be larger. Some are of the opinion that it cannot be demolished and can only be extended from its surroundings, while others say that it should be demolished and rebuilt from scratch. What is the Shar‘i ruling on this?

Answer

Do not demolish the entire old building of the mosque while it is solid and sturdy; rather, add to it — in front, behind, to the right and to the left — as suits the site and as you see fit. However, if the builders of the old mosque and those now building the new one are all people of the same neighbourhood, then they have the right to rebuild the whole mosque from scratch:…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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