Building Shops on a Vacant Area of the Mosque

Question

There is an old mosque in which, in front of the wall of the prayer hall (haram), to the right and left of the mihrab, there is a vacant area. People of the drug-addict sort use it for their pastimes. If shops are built on this vacant area of the mosque for the sake of income and to clear away the said filth — is this permissible or not?

Answer

Building shops on this vacant area of the mosque for the mosque’s income and to clear away the filth is permissible. Any wall that needs to be raised in the interests of the mosque may be raised; then, if it is appropriate to put windows in it, let them do so, and if it is not appropriate, let them not. Mutual consultation should also be held, so that no one has any objection.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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