◈ Shar‘i Ruling on Worldly Talk and Noise in the Masjid ◈
Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 311
❖ Question
What is the Islamic ruling on arguing or speaking worldly matters aloud in the masjid?
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʾAmma baʿd!
✿ Ruling on Loud Worldly Speech in the Masjid
Making noise, engaging in loud worldly conversations, and even announcing lost items in the masjid is not permissible.
This is clarified by a narration in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, in which Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) reports the Prophet ﷺ said:
«مَنْ سَمِعَ رَجُلًا يَنْشُدُ ضَالَّةً فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، فَلْيَقُلْ: لَا رَدَّهَا اللهُ عَلَيْكَ، فَإِنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لَمْ تُبْنَ لِهَذَا»
“If you hear someone announcing a lost item in the masjid, say: ‘May Allah not return it to you,’ for indeed masājid were not built for this purpose.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of Masājid)
Another narration reinforces this:
«لَا وَجَدْتَهُ، إِنَّمَا بُنِيَتِ الْمَسَاجِدُ لِمَا بُنِيَتْ لَهُ»
“May you not find it, for masājid were built only for what they were intended for.”
✿ Commentary of Imām al-Nawawī (رحمه الله)
In his commentary, Imām al-Nawawī writes:
“The phrase ‘masājid were built only for what they were built for’ means they are meant for dhikr of Allah, ṣalāh, religious discussions, and righteous deeds.”
(Sharḥ al-Nawawī ʿala Muslim, Vol. 1, p. 210)
✿ Opinions of the Scholars
- Imām Mālik (رحمه الله) and those who follow his view:
→ Even speaking of religious matters loudly in the masjid is makrūh (discouraged). - Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (رحمه الله) and Imām Muḥammad ibn Musallamah al-Mālikī:
→ Permitted loud discussion of religious knowledge or worldly necessities in the masjid.
Reference: Sharḥ al-Nawawī (Vol. 1, p. 210)
✿ Incident of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه)
Al-Sāʾib (رضي الله عنه) reported:
“I was in the masjid when someone threw a small stone at me. I looked and saw it was ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه). He said, ‘Bring me those two men.’ When I brought them, he asked, ‘Where are you from?’ They said, ‘From Ṭāʾif.’ ʿUmar said, ‘Had you been from Madīnah, I would have punished you, for you were raising your voices in the masjid of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’”
(Reported by al-Bukhārī; Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ with Taqrīb al-Ruwāt, Vol. 1, p. 133)
✿ Clarification by Ḥadīth Scholars
Shaykh Sayyid Aḥmad Ḥasan al-Muḥaddith al-Dehlawī explains:
Imām al-Bukhārī (رحمه الله) first mentioned this narration under “Chapter: Raising the Voice in the Masjid”, then included another under “Chapter: Demanding Debt and Raising Voices in the Masjid”, where ʿAbdullāh ibn Abī Ḥadard (رضي الله عنه) demanded repayment and both parties raised their voices. The Prophet ﷺ did not object.
◉ Conclusion from this Comparison:
- ʿUmar’s narration: Prohibits futile and unnecessary talk in the masjid.
- Ibn Abī Ḥadard’s narration: Permits raising the voice when necessary.
📌 Hence, Imām al-Bukhārī’s approach demonstrates:
Unnecessary noise and worldly talk is forbidden,
but beneficial and necessary speech is allowed, even if raised.
✿ Prohibited Practices in the Masjid
❌ Engaging in futile worldly conversations
❌ Making noise or commotion
❌ Sloganeering during sermons or lectures
❌ Flattering speakers with phrases like “Zindabad,” etc.
❌ Taking photographs in the masjid (a modern trend)
📌 All of these are forbidden, ḥarām, and fall under blameworthy innovation (bidʿah sayyiʾah).
❖ Summary
✔ Raising one’s voice for futile, worldly matters in the masjid is ḥarām.
✔ Speaking beneficial or necessary matters is permissible, even if done loudly.
✔ The purpose of masājid is worship, dhikr, religious learning, and righteousness.
✔ Respecting the sanctity of the masjid is an obligation.
✔ Loud talking, disputing, or treating it like a public hall contradicts its sacred nature.
ھٰذَا مَا عِنْدِي، وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
