Source: “Ahkam wa Masail in the Light of the Qur’an and Hadith”, Volume 02
Referenced from: Fatāwā ʿAzīziyyah, Volume 1, Page 21
As-Salāmu ʿAlaikum wa Rahmatullāhi wa Barakātuh
If a person takes a loan through a lawful (Shar‘ī) method and uses that loan to build a mosque, and later repays this loan using illegitimate income (such as bribery, unlawful earnings, etc.)—is the construction of the mosque valid in Islam? Does it bear the status of a proper mosque (ḥukm masjid) or not?
Yes, constructing such a mosque is permissible in Sharī‘ah, and it will indeed carry the full status of a mosque.
However, the impurity (khabath) of the wealth used for repayment has no retroactive effect on the wealth initially borrowed and used to construct the mosque.
Therefore:
✔ This mosque is deemed a valid masjid in Islamic law,
✔ Salah performed within it is valid and rewardable,
✔ The builder may hope for reward (thawāb) from Allah, based on his original intention and means of construction.
وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
And Allah, the Exalted, knows best what is correct.
Referenced from: Fatāwā ʿAzīziyyah, Volume 1, Page 21❖ Question:
As-Salāmu ʿAlaikum wa Rahmatullāhi wa Barakātuh
If a person takes a loan through a lawful (Shar‘ī) method and uses that loan to build a mosque, and later repays this loan using illegitimate income (such as bribery, unlawful earnings, etc.)—is the construction of the mosque valid in Islam? Does it bear the status of a proper mosque (ḥukm masjid) or not?
❖ Answer:
Yes, constructing such a mosque is permissible in Sharī‘ah, and it will indeed carry the full status of a mosque.
❖ Reasoning and Explanation:
- The person initially took the loan in a lawful manner, and it was with that loan amount that the mosque was built.
- Later, the same individual repaid the loan using illicit (ḥarām) earnings, such as bribery or other impermissible sources.
However, the impurity (khabath) of the wealth used for repayment has no retroactive effect on the wealth initially borrowed and used to construct the mosque.
Therefore:
- Since the construction itself was funded with clean, lawful money (i.e., the borrowed amount),
- The repayment source (though haram) does not invalidate the purity of the mosque’s construction,
- Nor does it impact the Shar‘ī status of the mosque.
❖ Legal Ruling:
✔ This mosque is deemed a valid masjid in Islamic law,
✔ Salah performed within it is valid and rewardable,
✔ The builder may hope for reward (thawāb) from Allah, based on his original intention and means of construction.
وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
And Allah, the Exalted, knows best what is correct.
