Teaching Children in One Part of the Mosque

Question

There is a mosque in whose lower part the prayer is performed, while in the upper part children study. However, when the mosque was built there was no thought that children would study in it; rather, that part was counted as part of the mosque itself. In such a case, may the congregational prayer (jama‘a) be held in the upper part or not? And may children be taught in that part or not?

Answer

In this mosque, just as its lower part is a mosque, so too its upper part is a mosque. A second congregation (jama‘a thaniya) should not be held upstairs. Some other place should be arranged for teaching the children; if there is no other place, then out of necessity it is permissible to give children religious instruction in the mosque, provided that the children are not so…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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