Resting the girder of the imam’s chamber on the mosque wall

Question

What do you say, may Allah Most High have mercy on you: on the south and north sides of the Shahi Masjid of Seohara, on both sides, there are two chambers built in olden times. The elongated, pen-case-shaped vault of one of these chambers is merged (lit. “being absorbed”) into the wall of the mosque; the other, northern chamber is plainly built, and because it had become dilapidated it was rebuilt.

Answer

This use is not permissible according to the Shari‘a: [ar]وَلَا يُوضَعُ الْجِذْعُ عَلَى جِدَارِ الْمَسْجِدِ وَإِنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَوْقَافِهِ[/ar] “A beam is not to be placed on the wall of the mosque, even if it is one of its endowments” (Shami). From the apparent circumstances it seems that these chambers are endowed for the needs of the mosque.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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