Building a Masjid, Items Taken from It, Invalidating Wudu’ and Sleeping in Masjid and So On

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَنْ بَنَى مَسْجِداً بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ بَيْتاً فِي الْجَنَّةِ قَالَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ فَمَرَّ بِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فِي طَرِيقِ مَكَّةَ وَ قَدْ سَوَّيْتُ بِأَحْجَارٍ مَسْجِداً فَقُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ نَرْجُو أَنْ يَكُونَ هَذَا مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ.

“I heard abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘If one builds a Masjid, Allah builds for him a house in paradise.’ Abu ‘Ubaydah has said, ‘Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once passed by on the way to Makkah and I had built a Masjid with stones and asked him, “I pray to Allah to keep my souls in the service of your cause , I hope this wil

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ يَكُونُ فِي الْبَيْتِ فَيُرِيدُ أَهْلُ الْبَيْتِ أَنْ يَتَوَسَّعُوا بِطَائِفَةٍ مِنْهُ أَوْ يُحَوِّلُوهُ إِلَى غَيْرِ مَكَانِهِ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ قَالَ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْمَكَانِ يَكُونُ خَبِيثاً ثُمَّ يُنَظَّفُ وَ يُجْعَلُ مَسْجِداً قَالَ يُطْرَحُ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ التُّرَابِ حَتَّى يُوَارِيَهُ فَهُوَ أَطْهَرُ.

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of a Masjid which is in a house and the people of the house want to expand it to a certain extent or relocate it in another place. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’ He (the narrator) has said that he then asked him (the Imam) about a place which is filthy, then it

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْبِيَعِ وَ الْكَنَائِسِ هَلْ يَصْلُحُ نَقْضُهُمَا لِبِنَاءِ الْمَسَاجِدِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Biya‘ and churches if they can be changed into Masjid. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it is possible.’”

سُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْمَسَاجِدِ الْمُظَلَّلَةِ أَ يُكْرَهُ الصَّلَاةُ فِيهَا قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ لَكِنْ لَا يَضُرُّكُمُ الْيَوْمَ وَ لَوْ قَدْ كَانَ الْعَدْلُ لَرَأَيْتُمْ كَيْفَ يُصْنَعُ فِي ذَلِكَ قَالَ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ أَ يُعَلِّقُ الرَّجُلُ السِّلَاحَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ أَمَّا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَكْبَرِ فَلَا فَإِنَّ جَدِّي‌ نَهَى رَجُلًا يَبْرِي مِشْقَصاً فِي الْمَسْجِدِ[1].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once was asked about Masjid, which is made to also provide shadow, if performing Salah (prayer) therein is undesirable. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it is as such but today it is not harmful for you. Had there been justice you would see how it is dealt with.’ He (the narrator) has said that he then

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ يُنْشِدُ الشِّعْرَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ فَقُولُوا فَضَّ اللَّهُ‌[2] فَاكَ إِنَّمَا نُصِبَتِ الْمَسَاجِدُ لِلْقُرْآنِ.

‘If you hear someone reciting poems in Masjid say to him, “May Allah tear your mouth, Masjid is built only for al-Quran (to read).””’

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ الْمُصَوَّرَةِ فَقَالَ أَكْرَهُ ذَلِكَ وَ لَكِنْ لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ وَ لَوْ قَدْ قَامَ الْعَدْلُ رَأَيْتُمْ كَيْفَ يُصْنَعُ فِي ذَلِكَ.

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), if it is permissible to perform Salah (prayer) in a Masjid with pictures. He (the Imam) said, ‘I dislike it, however, today it is not harmful to you. Had justice been established you would see how it is dealt with.’”

نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص عَنْ رَطَانَةِ الْأَعَاجِمِ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, “The Messenger of Allah has prohibited speaking jargon language in Masjid (expressions understood by two people or a group only).’”

نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص عَنْ سَلِّ السَّيْفِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَ عَنْ بَرْيِ النَّبْلِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ قَالَ إِنَّمَا بُنِيَ لِغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ.

‘The Messenger of Allah prohibited unsheathing of swords and trimming arrows in the Masjid saying, “Masjid is built for something other than such things.’””

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْوُضُوءِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَكَرِهَهُ مِنَ الْغَائِطِ وَ الْبَوْلِ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, about taking Wudu’ in Masjid and he disliked it because of defecation and urination.”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ النَّوْمِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَ مَسْجِدِ النَّبِيِّ ص قَالَ نَعَمْ فَأَيْنَ يَنَامُ النَّاسُ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, about sleeping in Masjid al-Haram and Masjid of the Holy prophet. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, they can do so, where else can people sleep?”’

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع مَا تَقُولُ فِي النَّوْمِ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ إِلَّا فِي الْمَسْجِدَيْنِ- مَسْجِدِ النَّبِيِّ ص وَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ قَالَ وَ كَانَ يَأْخُذُ بِيَدِي فِي بَعْضِ اللَّيْلِ فَيَنْتَحِي نَاحِيَةً ثُمَّ يَجْلِسُ فَيَتَحَدَّثُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ فَرُبَّمَا نَامَ وَ نِمْتُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا يُكْرَهُ أَنْ يَنَامَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ال

“I once asked abu Ja‘far, Alayhi al-Salam, about sleeping in Masjid. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not an offense, except two Masjids: Masjid of the Holy prophet and Masjid al-Haram.’ He (the narrator) has said that he (the Imam) would in certain parts of the night hold my hand and move to one side where he would sit and

قُلْتُ لَهُ الرَّجُلُ يَكُونُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَيُرِيدُ أَنْ يَبْزُقَ فَقَالَ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ وَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي غَيْرِ صَلَاةٍ فَلَا يَبْزُقُ حِذَاءَ الْقِبْلَةِ وَ يَبْزُقُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَ يَسَارِهِ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, about a man who is in Masjid in Salah (prayer) and wants to spit away. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can do it toward his left and if he is not in Salah (prayer); he must not do so in front of al-Qiblah (al-Ka‘bah) but do so toward his left or right sides.’”

رَأَيْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ الثَّانِيَ ع يَتْفُلُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ فِيمَا بَيْنَ الرُّكْنِ الْيَمَانِيِّ وَ الْحَجَرِ الْأَسْوَدِ وَ لَمْ يَدْفِنْهُ.

“I once saw abu Ja‘far, al-Thaniy, Alayhi al-Salam, emit saliva in Masjid al-Haram between al- Yemaniy corner and the Blackstone and did not bury it.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنِّي لَأَكْرَهُ الصَّلَاةَ فِي مَسَاجِدِهِمْ فَقَالَ لَا تَكْرَهْ فَمَا مِنْ مَسْجِدٍ بُنِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى قَبْرِ نَبِيٍّ أَوْ وَصِيِّ نَبِيٍّ قُتِلَ فَأَصَابَ تِلْكَ الْبُقْعَةَ رَشَّةٌ مِنْ دَمِهِ فَأَحَبَّ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا فَأَدِّ فِيهَا الْفَرِيضَةَ وَ النَّوَافِلَ وَ اقْضِ فِيهَا مَا فَاتَكَ.

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, ‘I dislike performing Salah (prayer) in their Masjid.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You must not dislike it; every Masjid is built on the grave of a prophet or the executor of the will of a prophet who was murdered and that site received a sprinkle of his blood and Allah loved t

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ‌ لا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلاةَ وَ أَنْتُمْ سُكارى‌[1] فَقَالَ سُكْرُ النَّوْمِ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘You must not go near Salah (prayer) while you are drunk.’ (4:46) He (the Imam) said, ‘It is a reference to sleep.’”

لَيْسَ يُرَخَّصُ فِي النَّوْمِ فِي شَيْ‌ءٍ مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Nothing of sleep is permissible in Salah (prayer).”’ (Ahadith 2-16 are best explained in the form of fatwa.)