A mosque is a place of worship, not a tourist centre or a museum. Muslims are expected to build mosques moderately, and what is being done in a part of Nigeria in overly decorating the mosque and being boastful of the luxuriance is against Islam.
Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated from the Messenger ﷺ: “When you begin to decorate your mosques and adorn your Mus’hafs, then destruction will be upon you.” Silsilah as-Sahihah 1351 (Another version of this hadith narrated by Abu Darda was also declared authentic by Shaykh Al-Albani in Sahih al-Jaami’ 585)
Anas bn Maalik narrated that the Messenger ﷺ said: “The hour will not be established until people boast of their mosques.” Ibn Majah 739 and declared authentic by Shaykh Al-Albani in Sahih al-Jaami’ 7421 and Sahih Abu Dawud 475
Shaikh Muhammad Naşir Al-Din Al-Albāni, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
The beautification of mosques is among the innovations that have infiltrated Islam, since he ﷺ said: “I have not been commanded to be extravagant in building mosques.” The one who narrated the hadith is ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbās, and he said, after he narrated the hadith: “You will most definitely beautify them just as the Jews and Christians have beautified [them].”
So it’s not allowed to beautify mosques from this angle, first of all; then, second, from the angle that there’s a waste of money in [this], money that belongs to the Muslims; after that, [it’s not allowed] because of what’s in [this] of busying [people]-busying the thoughts of those praying in these mosques with the decorations that have been painted or plastered on their walls.
Due to [this], it has come [to us] in Sahih Al-Bukhārī that ‘Umar ibn Al- Khattab, when he [was renovating] the structure of the Prophet’s Mosque, told the builders: “Keep people covered [and protected] from the heat and cold and neither give things a red color nor give things a yellow color.”
Silsilah Al-Hudá wa-l-Nūr, 169, 00:44:36. Translated by Mikail ibn Mahboob Ariff.
This clearly shows the impermissibility of what is common among Muslims today in making mosques look luxurious and boasting of their architecture, heights, and decorations, and it is wrong for any Muslim, particularly people of sunnah to join people in celebrating and promoting this, rather a person of sunnah should forbid it, as it is part of Munkar¹ that Allah commanded us to forbid. Allah said:
وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِۚ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ
“Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islâm), enjoining Al-Ma‘rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islâm has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful.” [Aal Imraan: 104]
May Allah forgive our sins and cleanse our land from wrongdoing.
Compiled by Abū Muḥsinah Mubaarak Olayemi Ismail
27 Jumādá Ath-Thānī 1445AH
10 January 2024 CE
1. Shaykh Muqbil said that decorating mosques is considered a Munkar, check here
