Taken from: Fatawa Arkan al-Islam
What is the ruling regarding those who walk on the ground of Masjid al-Haram while wearing shoes?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
Walking with shoes on the ground of Masjid al-Haram is not permissible, because this practice opens the way for people who do not observe the sanctity and respect of the mosque.
Sometimes such individuals enter the mosque wearing shoes that are wet—possibly with impure substances—raising the risk of contaminating the sacred area with najasah (impurity).
One of the well-established principles of Islamic law is:
"If doing something leads to potential harm or corruption, then refraining from it becomes obligatory."
The scholars also recognize the principle:
"When a matter has both benefit and harm, and the two are equal—or harm outweighs the benefit—then preventing harm takes precedence over attaining benefit."
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ once intended to demolish the Ka‘bah and rebuild it on the foundations laid by Prophet Ibrāhīm (عليه السلام).
However, since the people at that time were new to Islam and had only recently abandoned disbelief, he refrained from doing so to avoid any potential fitnah (discord) or corruption.
The Prophet ﷺ said to ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها):
((لَوْلَا أَنَّ قَوْمَكِ حَدِيثُو عَهْدٍ بِكُفْرٍ لَهَدَمْتُ الْكَعْبَةَ وَبَنَيْتُهَا عَلَىٰ قَوَاعِدِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَجَعَلْتُ لَهَا بَابَيْنِ: بَابًا يَدْخُلُ النَّاسُ مِنْهُ، وَبَابًا يَخْرُجُونَ مِنْهُ))
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ḥajj, ḥadīth: 1586; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Ḥajj, ḥadīth: 1333)
Translation:
"If it were not for the fact that your people have only recently left disbelief, I would have demolished the Ka‘bah and rebuilt it on the foundations of Ibrāhīm, and I would have given it two doors—one through which people would enter and another through which they would exit."
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
Question:
What is the ruling regarding those who walk on the ground of Masjid al-Haram while wearing shoes?
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
Walking with shoes on the ground of Masjid al-Haram is not permissible, because this practice opens the way for people who do not observe the sanctity and respect of the mosque.
Sometimes such individuals enter the mosque wearing shoes that are wet—possibly with impure substances—raising the risk of contaminating the sacred area with najasah (impurity).
Principle of the Shari‘ah
One of the well-established principles of Islamic law is:
"If doing something leads to potential harm or corruption, then refraining from it becomes obligatory."
The scholars also recognize the principle:
"When a matter has both benefit and harm, and the two are equal—or harm outweighs the benefit—then preventing harm takes precedence over attaining benefit."
The Wisdom of the Prophet ﷺ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ once intended to demolish the Ka‘bah and rebuild it on the foundations laid by Prophet Ibrāhīm (عليه السلام).
However, since the people at that time were new to Islam and had only recently abandoned disbelief, he refrained from doing so to avoid any potential fitnah (discord) or corruption.
The Prophet ﷺ said to ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها):
((لَوْلَا أَنَّ قَوْمَكِ حَدِيثُو عَهْدٍ بِكُفْرٍ لَهَدَمْتُ الْكَعْبَةَ وَبَنَيْتُهَا عَلَىٰ قَوَاعِدِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَجَعَلْتُ لَهَا بَابَيْنِ: بَابًا يَدْخُلُ النَّاسُ مِنْهُ، وَبَابًا يَخْرُجُونَ مِنْهُ))
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ḥajj, ḥadīth: 1586; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Ḥajj, ḥadīth: 1333)
Translation:
"If it were not for the fact that your people have only recently left disbelief, I would have demolished the Ka‘bah and rebuilt it on the foundations of Ibrāhīm, and I would have given it two doors—one through which people would enter and another through which they would exit."
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
