Going to Temples for Voluntary Work: Permissible?

14 May, 2017

Q As-Salamu alaykum. Can a Muslim go to temples just to help them serve food for donations?

Answer

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

In this fatwa:

A Muslim can go to a temple if a need arises as long as he does not participate in the pagan rituals they perform.

Answering your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a Senior Lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

A Muslim can go to temples if a need arises as long as he does not participate in the pagan rituals they perform. There is nothing in Islam worse than idolatry.

Therefore, if you are going there for volunteering for a particular project involving soup kitchen or feeding the poor, etc., there is nothing objectionable. It would be a good work meriting rewards in the sight of Allah.

We may do well to remember that the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions participated in all of the good works done by the Quraish in the Haram who were pagans and used to serve as the custodians of the Ka`bah which was full of idols before they converted to Islam.

Allah Almighty knows best.