How Should Fundraising in the Mosque Be Handled?

14 September, 2019

Q Respected scholars of Islam, as-salamu `alaykum. My question is regarding fundraising techniques inside the mosque. For example, in many cases we wish to collect money for the mosque; so a brother stands up after prayer and says, ‘How many of you wish to donate $1000.’ So people start raising their hands, then after few minutes the brother asks, ‘OK, how many wish to donate $500’ and so on. It is like an auction. Now our Imam in the mosque feels that this is inappropriate way of raising funds and that we should only stand up, encourage people to donate and go outside and hold a box. His claim is that this is more ‘respectful’ to the mosque. Jazakum Allahu Khayran in advance.

Answer

Dr. `Abdul-Fattah Idrees

14 September, 2019

Wa`alykum as-salaamu wa rahmatullahi wa rarakaatuh.

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:

1- It is forbidden to raise voices in the mosque when people are praying.

2- But when people are not praying, or if the fundraising campaigns are conducted out of the prayer hall, then it is permissible.

The eminent Muslim scholar, Dr. Abdel-Fattah Idrees, Professor of Comparative Jurisprudence at Al-Azhar Univ., states:

Raising voices in the mosque for any purpose other than dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and prayer is not acceptable.

The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that the mosque be used for announcing lost items or for business transaction.

The reason behind this is that it is forbidden to distract the people from prayer by any means.

Accordingly, despite that raising funds and collecting donations in the mosque is for the common interest of Muslims, voices should not be raised in it to the extent of disturbing the people who are praying, for this is forbidden.

Almighty Allah has dispraised unbelievers who used to clap and whistle while Muslims were praying in Al-Masjid Al-Haram; Allah says:

{Their prayer at the House (of Allah) is nothing but whistling and clapping of hands: (Its only answer can be), ‘Taste ye the penalty because ye blasphemed.’} (Al-Anfal 8:35)

This means that raising voices in the mosque for any purpose other than prayer is forbidden.

Accordingly, we would say that it is forbidden to raise voices in the mosque when people are praying. But when people are not praying, or if the fundraising campaigns are conducted out of the prayer hall, then it is permissible.

You can use some methods to encourage people to give in charity, but try to make sure that you don’t hurt people’s feelings. Also, make sure that you speak in a good manner and don’t turn the mosque into an auction hall.

Allah Almighty knows best.

Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.