The Ruling on the Property and Land of an Abandoned Mosque
This excerpt is taken from Shaykh Muhammad Munir Qamar’s book Ahkām al-Masājid.
Abandoned or Disused Mosques
A final important matter in the discussion of mosque rulings and etiquettes is the issue of a mosque that becomes abandoned:
① If in a village or settlement a mosque exists, but with the passage of time the population vanishes and no one remains there to pray, what should be done with that mosque?
② Or, if due to the construction of a new mosque nearby, the old one becomes unused and prayers cease therein — what is the ruling concerning such a mosque?
The First Case: Mosque Land Remains Waqf
Since a mosque is built upon land dedicated for Allah’s sake (waqf), the land remains waqf regardless of whether the population stays or disappears. It does not return to the ownership of the original donor. On this point all Imams and jurists agree, except Imām Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Shaybānī (رحمه الله).
Thus, the land will remain waqf, and its yield or value should be spent on the maintenance or development of the nearby mosque. This ruling is similar to that of any other waqf property.
(References: Fatāwā Thanā’iyyah 1/328; Fatāwā ʿUlamāʾ Ahl al-Ḥadīth 2/50)
The Second Case: Mosque Remains but No Population
If the mosque building remains intact but the people have migrated, leaving no one to pray there, the mosque becomes effectively abandoned. In such a case:
- To prevent it from becoming a den for thieves or from people looting its belongings, the mosque should be converted into a madrasa for Qur’ān and ḥadīth education.
(Fatāwā ʿUlamāʾ Ahl al-Ḥadīth 2/50) - Alternatively, the building may be demolished, and all its materials — wood, iron, carpets, mats, fans, etc. — should be safeguarded or sold, with the proceeds directed towards another mosque.
(al-Iʿtiṣām vol. 2; Fatāwā ʿUlamāʾ Ahl al-Ḥadīth 2/64–65) - According to the Shāfiʿī jurists (such as al-Mutawallī, Ibn al-Ṣabbāgh, and al-Qāḍī), using these materials for another mosque is permissible. The preferred option is to transfer them to a mosque nearby, though using them for a distant mosque is also allowed.
- It is impermissible to use mosque materials (wood, iron, etc.) for inns, bridges, or wells. They must be utilized in another mosque only.
- Similarly, carpets, mats, lamps (or bulbs, tube lights, fans, and air conditioners) from the old mosque should be placed in another mosque.
Scholarly Views
- In al-Kāfī, Khwārazmī (رحمه الله) noted that their jurists did not permit transferring mosque items elsewhere. However, he expressed his personal view that it is more beneficial to transfer them to another mosque.
- A similar stance is reported from Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (رحمه الله).
Temporary or Company Mosques
From the above, it also becomes clear that if a company or residential colony temporarily establishes a mosque, and a fund is collected to meet its needs, then:
- Once the colony is vacated or demolished, the land (not originally waqf) reverts to its owners.
- The remaining funds and items of that temporary mosque must be spent on another mosque nearby or wherever the administration committee decides.
Summary:- The land of a waqf mosque remains waqf forever, even if the population moves away.
- Abandoned mosques should either be converted for religious education or their materials transferred to another mosque.
- Mosque items may not be diverted to non-mosque uses.
- Temporary mosques built without waqf land revert to ownership, but remaining funds/items should still be directed to another mosque.
