Question :
An individual works in a gym and a new supervisor came to the gym and changed the musallah (place of prayer) to a place which is now open to any individual from any religion, like a community center for any religion and he excuses himself for this action being that he lives in the lands of disbelievers so it is upon him to follow their legislation.
Answer :
The shaykh hafidhahullah responded by saying
” This action is not permissible. It is not permissible for him to change this place into something which is a community center, a place of prayer is not permissible to change into this. Especially,if it is something which is mawquf (something which is given) as charity in the path of Allah and he mentioned the ayah of Allah azza wa jal:
فَإِنَّمَا إِثْمُهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يُبَدِّلُونَهُ
“Indeed the sin,it is upon those who change (the bequest)”
(Suratul Baqarah:181)
As for the ijar, renting a place and turning it into a musalla, we have seen this in the lands of the west which we have gone to visit and we advised the brothers there in purchasing instead of renting. Being that, this is something which is capable of happening if the person is not capable of paying the rent, then the owner of the place he is capable of taking it from him afterwards and changing the place of prayer (the musalla) to something which is other than this. So that this does not occur, it is better for them to buy a land and build a masjid on it”
(In addition to this the Shaykh was also asked if he works there,should he remain working there if the supervisor comes and changes it or he makes it instead of a place of prayer to a community center for many religions. He said:)
“What is better for him is to look for somewhere else. It is better for him to leave this off.Messenger sallalahu alayhi wasallam said
‘Leave that which doubts you for that which does not cause you to doubt.’ (Tirmidhi and Nasai reported it from Hasan ibn Alee with an authentic chain.See nasai 5711 and Timirdhi 2518)”
Answered by : Shaykh Abu Amr Al Hajooree