What is the ruling on transferring furnishings and items endowed for the benefit of one mosque to another? The mosque where we pray has replaced its carpets, lights, and other items. Is it permissible to transfer the items that are no longer needed to another mosque in need of them?

Maintaining mosques and providing everything that contributes to their upkeep, such as carpets, lights, and other furnishings is among the most virtuous and commendable acts in Islam. Allah Almighty says, "The mosques of Allah are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer, give zakah, and fear none but Allah. It is they who are expected to be among the rightly guided" (Quran, 9:18). Furthermore, Abu Huraira narrated that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Among the deeds of a believer that continue to benefit him after his death are knowledge that he taught and disseminated, a righteous child whom he left behind, a copy of the Quran he bequeathed, a mosque that he built, a house he built for travelers, a river he caused to flow, and charity that he gave from his wealth while he was alive and in good health. These will benefit him after his death" (recorded by Ibn Majah in his Sunan).

 

Transferring endowed furnishings from one mosque to another

The maintenance of mosques is primarily based on items specifically allocated to them, such as furnishings and other resources that are subject to the rulings governing endowments. Among these is that if an item is endowed for the benefit of a mosque, it must remain permanently dedicated to the mosque for as long as it needs it. It may not be sold or removed from the mosque unless it is no longer needed. If, for instance, if old carpets are replaced with new ones and the old ones are no longer needed, transferring them to another mosque in need of them is preferable, as this serves the public interest and preserves their beneficial use. However, the intended interest of the endowment must be achieved and the relevant conditions ensuring that the item retain their status as endowments must be observed. This ruling aligns with the position of the Hanafi scholar Imam Abu Yusuf, some Maliki scholars, and is the established opinion in the Shafi’i and Hanbali schools.[1]

 

Conditions and regulations

It is important to note that transferring furnishings endowed for the benefit of a mosque to another one that needs them, after the former mosque no longer has any need for them, is subject to the approval of the competent authority responsible for managing mosque affairs. This ensures the action aligns with public benefit and complies with legal frameworks.

 

The ruling

Based on the above, there is no objection under Islamic law to transferring carpets, lights, and other items that were endowed for the benefit of the mosque mentioned in the question, once they are no longer needed there, to another mosque that needs them. This is consistent with the purpose of the endowment, which is to benefit worshippers to draw closer to Allah Almighty by providing them with what facilitates their prayers. However, this may only be done with the approval of the competent authority and in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations.

And Allah Almighty knows best.