Trading with Madrasa Funds, and a Mosque Above a Madrasa Building

Question

(1) In a certain madrasa the treasurers buy grain and the like out of the madrasa’s treasury; if there is a profit they give it to the madrasa, and a loss they make good out of their own pocket. Is this practice correct? (2) A person has had a mosque built on the upper storey of the madrasa building. The explanation given is that in the neighbourhood mosque people object to the students that they break the ablution jugs, make noise, and so on and so forth. Does this have the status of a mosque in the Shari‘a?

Answer

The treasurer is a trustee (amin); he has no right to dispose of the trust money in this way. In future he should exercise caution. (2) This is not a mosque in the Shar‘i sense, since the lower storey belongs to the madrasa. Praying here will not bring the reward of a mosque, but the prayer will be discharged.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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