Question
As-Salāmu ʿAlaykum wa-Raḥmatu llāhi wa-Barakātuhū Mufti Saab,
I hope you‘re doing well. May Allah accept your salihat.
With your permission, I‘d like to ask the following question about menstruating women and people in the state of janaba entering mosques.
I‘m aware that there‘s a general consensus that prevents menstruating women and people in the state of janaba from entering (the praying areas of) mosques.
I would like to ask if there‘s a difference in the ruling for the following three cases:
(1) A rented space used as a proper masjid with Jamā‘a prayers including Jumu‘a.
(2) Spaces bought by the masjid committee with the same functions (but no endowment).
(3) A proper waqf-Masjid (endowment).
Do all three have the same ruling concerning menstruating women and people in the state of major ritual impurity or is there a difference?
May Allah reward you for your service.
Answer
Principally, a masjid is any space that has been endowed (given in waqf) by its owner and designated to be a masjid, i.e., a public prayer place. Once it becomes endowed, the space will be classified as a masjid until the Last Day. This space is also known as the masjid proper, or the legal (sharʿi) masjid.
Many a times, within the same property or building, there are other spaces and facilities besides the masjid proper, such as offices, toilets, ablution (wudu’) areas, amenities’ rooms and halls. These auxiliary spaces would not be classified as the masjid proper and consequently any rulings regarding the masjid proper would not apply to them.
Based on the principle that the rulings pertaining to a masjid are specific to a masjid proper, it will be permissible for those menstruating or in the state of janaba to enter the spaces that are not classified as the masjid proper, for example, the auxiliary rooms within the masjid building.
The same ruling will apply to any space that cannot be endowed due to lack of ownership, such as a rented space used as a prayer hall (musalla). Note here that it is valid to establish congregational prayers and the Friday Jumuʿa prayer in spaces that are not classified as legal masjids, albeit the reward of such prayers will not be the same as that of praying in a masjid proper. Nevertheless, due to the space being treated like a masjid proper, it would be recommended to uphold all masjid rulings therein, including those in question to avoid entering the space.
As for spaces purchased by the masjid committee with the masjid funds, they will be owned by the masjid. However, the new property will not automatically become an endowment (waqf) upon purchase, and consequently the rulings of a masjid proper will not apply to it, unless it is also endowed and designated as a masjid.
Conclusively, the rulings of your queries can be summarised as follows:
– It is permissible, although not optimal, for those menstruating or in the state of janāba to enter rented spaces used as masjids.
– It is similarly permissible for them to enter prayer spaces owned by the masjid, as long as it does not become endowed in itself.
– It is not permissible for them to enter endowed spaces designated as masjids.
«التعريفات الفقهية» (ص204) – «المَسْجد: الموضعُ الذي يسجد منها وبيت الصلاة وهو اصطلاحاَ: الأرضُ التي جعلها المالك مسجداً وأفْرَزَ طريقه وأذِنَ بالصلاة فيه فإن صلَّى واحدٌ زال ملكه»
«حاشية ابن عابدين = رد المحتار ط الحلبي» (4/ 340) – [مَطْلَبٌ قَدْ يَثْبُتُ الْوَقْفُ بِالضَّرُورَةِ]
(وَشَرْطُهُ شَرْطُ سَائِرِ التَّبَرُّعَاتِ) كَحُرِّيَّةٍ وَتَكْلِيفٍ
(قَوْلُهُ: وَشَرْطُهُ شَرْطُ سَائِرِ التَّبَرُّعَاتِ) أَفَادَ أَنَّ الْوَاقِفَ لَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَالِكُهُ وَقْتَ الْوَقْفِ مِلْكًا بَاتًّا وَلَوْ بِسَبَبٍ فَاسِدٍ، وَأَنْ لَا يَكُونَ مَحْجُورًا عَنْ التَّصَرُّفِ، حَتَّى لَوْ وَقَفَ الْغَاصِبُ الْمَغْصُوبَ لَمْ يَصِحَّ
«المحيط البرهاني» (6/ 206) – وذكر الصدر الشهيد في «واقعاته» في باب العين من كتاب الهبة والصدقة رجل له أرض ساحة لا بناء فيها، أمر قوماً أن يصلوا فيها بجماعة، فهذا على ثلاثة أوجه: أما إن أمرهم بالصلاة فيها أبداً نصاً بأن قال: صلوا فيها أبداً أو أمرهم مطلقاً ونوي الأبد وفي هذين الوجهين صارت الساحة مسجداً لو مات لا يورث عنه، وأما إن وقت الأمر باليوم أو الشهر أو السنة وفي هذا الوجه لا تصير الساحة مسجداً لو مات تورث عنه
«حاشية ابن عابدين = رد المحتار ط الحلبي» (4/ 416) – «مَطْلَبٌ اشْتَرَى بِمَالِ الْوَقْفِ دَارًا لِلْوَقْفِ يَجُوزُ بَيْعُهَا»
(قَوْلُهُ: اشْتَرَى بِمَالِ الْوَقْفِ) أَيْ بِغَلَّةِ الْوَقْفِ كَمَا عَبَّرَ بِهِ فِي الْخَانِيَّةِ وَهُوَ أَوْلَى احْتِرَازًا عَمَّا لَوْ اشْتَرَى بِبَدَلِ الْوَقْفِ، فَإِنَّهُ يَصِيرُ وَقْفًا كَالْأَوَّلِ عَلَى شُرُوطِهِ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَذْكُرْ شَيْئًا كَمَا مَرَّ فِي بَحْثِ الِاسْتِبْدَالِ،
«درر الحكام شرح غرر الأحكام» (2/ 140) – «اشْتَرَى الْمُتَوَلِّي بِمَالِ الْوَقْفِ دَارًا لَهُ) أَيْ لِلْوَقْفِ (لَا يَكُونُ وَقْفًا فِي الْأَصَحِّ) ؛ لِأَنَّ فِي صِحَّةِ الْوَقْفِ وَالشَّرَائِطِ الَّتِي يَصِيرُ بِهَا الْوَقْفُ لَازِمًا كَلَامًا كَثِيرًا وَلَمْ يُوجَدْ هَاهُنَا كَذَا فِي الْعِمَادِيَّةِ»
Answered by:
Ifta Research Fellow
Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel