Building Shops on Mosque Ground and Following the Imam from One Shop in Another

Question

(1) Zayd, for the sake of worldly gain, wants to put up shops in the enclosure in front of the mosque, and because of the shortage of space he tells people to pray to its left. Between those praying at that spot and the imam there is a chamber; in its wall there is no window or the like, and those praying on this side cannot see the worshippers behind the imam. In this situation, is it valid to pray here or not? (2)

Answer

(1) If that ground has been made waqf for prayer, building a shop there is not permissible. If it has not been made waqf for prayer but is the property of the mosque, and there is a shortage of space in the mosque such that people pray there when needed, and the mosque’s income is sufficient and its expenses are not great — even then no shop should be built on that ground.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.