al-Mashru wal-Mamnu fi al-Masjid - Muhammad al-Urfaj
- Author died
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- Editions
- Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Da'wah and Guidance - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
al-Mashru‘ wa-l-Mamnu‘ fi al-Masjid (Arabic: المشروع والممنوع في المسجد, lit. 'The Prescribed and the Prohibited in the Mosque') is a treatise on the legal rulings, spiritual functions, and architectural etiquettes of mosques by Muhammad ibn Ali al-Arfaj .
Context and Purpose
The work was originally prepared as a research presentation upon the invitation of the Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Da‘wah, and Guidance, Abdullah bin Abdulmohsen Al-Turki, for the "Mosque Architecture" symposium and accompanying exhibition organized in conjunction with the College of Architecture and Planning at King Saud University in Riyadh, scheduled for Shawwal 1419 AH (1999 CE) . The author served as a preacher in the ministry's Da‘wah branch in Riyadh .
The author defines the "prescribed in the mosque" (al-mashru‘) as any act legislated to be performed within it, whether obligatory (wajib) or recommended (mustahabb), while the "prohibited in the mosque" (al-mamnu‘) refers to acts forbidden therein, whether strictly unlawful (muharram) or disliked (makruh) .
Content and Structure
Importance and Physical Maintenance
Al-Arfaj highlights the status of mosques in Islam, noting that the word masjid is mentioned twenty-eight times across the Quran . He divides the upkeep of mosques (‘imarah) into two categories: physical construction (hissiyyah) and spiritual cultivation (ma‘nawiyyah) .
The physical section cites Quranic verses, such as إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ (Surah at-Tawbah: 18), and prophetic traditions encouraging mosque construction . It reviews the history of early mosque building, citing:
- Abu Bakr's prayer place in the courtyard of his home in Mecca before the Hijrah .
- The domestic mosque established by Ammar ibn Yasir .
- The establishment of Quba Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina .
- Historical expansions of Al-Masjid al-Haram, the Prophet's Mosque, and Al-Aqsa Mosque under early caliphs and subsequent dynasties .
Endowments and Financing
The treatise outlines legal rulings on religious endowments (waqf) and funding sources for maintaining mosques, identifying four main avenues: dedicated mosque endowments, general charitable endowments, allocations from the public treasury (bayt mal al-muslimin), and voluntary private donations .
Prohibitions and Disliked Matters
The text details prohibitions and etiquettes regarding mosque sanctity, including:
- Shielding mosques from physical impurities and filth (najasat) .
- The prohibition of spitting or leaving mucus unburied/uncleaned .
- Avoiding foul odors, such as raw garlic, onions, leeks, or radishes .
- The restriction on entry by individuals in major ritual impurity (junub) or menstruation (ha'id) according to the majority of jurists, while mentioning allowances for passing through .
- The prohibition of buying, selling, and announcing lost property (nushdan al-dallah) inside mosques .
- Raising voices with secular noise, worldly talk, or disturbing other worshippers .
- Building mosques over graves, citing explicit prophetic prohibitions .
- Undertaking religious travel (shadd al-rihal) specifically to any mosques other than the Three Sacred Mosques .
- Superfluous decorative carvings, inscriptions, and lavish adornments that waste wealth and distract worshippers .
Spiritual Function
The closing sections examine the spiritual and educational role of the mosque, focusing on congregational prayers, Friday sermons, Quran study circles, educational lectures, and spiritual retreats (i‘tikaf) .
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