Fatwa ID: 03433

Answered by: Maulana Muddasser Dhedhy

Question

As Salamu Alaikum, Sheikh. Is it allowed to ban Muslims from the Masjid?

I don't know where to start because it's such a broad topic, but I will try to explain the situation in an honest way. I hope that you can help me understand. Is it allowed to ban Muslims from the masjid?

Now I will explain the events as they unfolded.

Last November, the Imam of the Masjid in Jummah told everyone that he was resigning to everyone's shock.  People have built relationships for 10 years with the imam and took this very hard, so everyone got up and assumed that the board, especially the president, is the one that had pushed him to resign.  So, therefore, everyone got up and started calling the president all kinds of names in the book, coward, Shaytan, etc.  And most people were calling for him to resign, screaming 'Allahu Akbar' down the president.  When the imam resigned, the president got up and in a very respectful way was praising the imam, and thanking him for his service. However, we all kind of felt that there was some animosity between the two. The Imam, called us all for an isha meeting so we can resolve the issue.

So, on one hand, the imam resigns, and still, after this incident, he is called to resolve the issue.  So at this point, I realized that there definitely is something going on between the imam and the president.  At night the imam didn't say much, except that he felt disrespected by the president due to him not answering his phone calls and not showing up at meeting at times. Besides this and informing that their relationship had degraded, there wasn't much said. The president didn't show up, however, he did send an official letter to the imam asking him not to lead any prayers inside the masjid. Later on, this escalated to him sending the imam official letters not to come to the masjid. In the next Jummah, the president with the board of trustees had found another imam, to which about half of the Jummah stood up refusing to let the imam lead us with the lecture, and in prayer. This went on for an hour to which they chose another person to lead the prayers. Immediately, according to some he became the imposter imam since they felt that he did not listen to the will of the people according to them.  So many names were called, only by one side, and that is the side that felt upset.   

So immediately, this group that formed out of this claiming that they were the group of the will of the people, now are going up against the board of trustees. So, therefore, they created a Facebook page calling it 'Masjid Al Mustafa' resembling the masjid page, and in this page, they are communicating with a lot of Muslims.

They call themselves 'The Resistant Group', in non-violence, standing up to the board, and as a result, they go to every prayer praying 15 minutes after the new imam of the masjid who is now not recognized by them.  So, this action led to the board of trustees banning 15 Muslims from the masjid, and mainly these people are the new representatives of the masjid according to themselves.  At this point, even I felt that what the board is doing by banning the Muslims is wrong, but honestly, I don't have real education in Islam. However, for an ordinary person that's how this whole thing looks, and at the same time, I know for a fact what these new representatives are doing is wrong as far as calling them names is involved.

Furthermore,  the board decided to cancel two Jummahs in a row due to the feeling that there were going to be disruptions of both Jummahs, and probably they were right, since the new representatives don't recognize the new imam, and they are calling him an 'imposter imam'.

As a result, the new representatives, are holding a daily protest at the gate of the parking lot of the masjid, and inside praying 15 minutes as the imam finishes.  For the past few months, there have been police in and around the masjid called by the board of trustees etc. Also, now this problem was published by the Republican American newspapers.

Please provide a solution, and please let me know if it is allowed to ban the Muslims that are protesting from the masjid.   I'm not sure who to pray after, the new imam, or the group representatives.  It's so confusing.  This is the Facebook of the new group masjid representatives.  They have posted all kinds of videos.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

Firstly, I pray to Allah that this disagreement is sorted out promptly and that the masjid can start functioning in its full capacity once again.

The following are several points in relation to the scenario and questions posed:

1. The masjid plays a pivotal role in the community and establishing Jumuah (Friday) prayer there is a necessity of the community.

2. The masjid’s board of trustees has the right and responsibility to choose the most suitable Imam and Muadhin (caller of Adhan) for the masjid.^[1]

3. The masjid’s board of trustees should only comprise of individuals who are pious, fear Allah and are punctual about the performance of the five times prayers preferably in the masjid as well as being particular about fasting. They should also be trustworthy, well mannered, good-natured and should hold Islamic scholars in high regard.^[2]

4. Removing an Imam simply due to some personal issues while the Imam is adequately fulfilling the duties of an Imam, is incorrect.^[3]

5. The proper method for making decisions is through consultation (mashwarah), and the Prophet (PBUH) was even ordered to adopt this method (Qur’an 3:159).

6. Performing a second Jummah in a masjid in which the first Jummah has been performed is Makruh (undesirable).^[4]

7. Banning people from the Masjid is permissible if their presence is causing disruptions to the functioning of the masjid and thus not allowing others to perform their prayers there. The Prophet (PBUH) prohibited those who had eaten raw onions and garlic from attending the masjid.^[5] Omar (r.a) narrated that if the Prophet (PBUH) smelt onion or garlic emanating from a person he would have that person sent to Al Baqi.^[6]Thus, someone may be banned from the masjid until they reform themselves.

While it will be best if you do not get involved in the politics behind this situation. You should continue to pray behind the newly appointed Imam.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Muddasser Dhedhy

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham