Demolishing the Former Mosque out of Obstinacy

Question

(1) If the mosque is rebuilt bypassing the imam and the former mutawalli (trustee), is prayer in it permissible or impermissible according to the Shari‘a? (2) The former worshippers of the village will not pray in this mosque at all, because it is being built without their consent and no counsel or the like was sought from them — for the worshippers had re-laid the roof of this mosque only last year. They demolished the mosque by force. Is the construction of this mosque permissible or impermissible? (3)

Answer

(1) Demolishing a mosque and rebuilding it anew because of obstinacy and quarrelling is a sin; nevertheless, prayer in it is permissible. (2) Demolishing a mosque without a Shar‘i reason merely out of obstinacy is haram, and for the worshippers to abandon the mosque because of resentment that “we were not consulted” is also a sin.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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