Keeping a Mosque Book at Home for Study

Question

An imam of a mosque began leading the prayer in a neighbourhood whose Muslims were heavily involved in matters contrary to the Shariʿa. The imam’s heart grieved at seeing the Muslims in matters contrary to the Shariʿa, but he was helpless as to how to reform them. When he told them a ruling, people demanded proof, but the respected imam had no authoritative book that he could show them.

Answer

Let him inform those who gave the donations: “I have bought books with the money you gave, and I keep them at home and study them.” If they have no objection, that is sufficient. And if those people made the imam the owner of the money, then there is no objection of any kind.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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