Q: Ten years ago, some Muslims built a small Masjid (mosque) in our village. Now it cannot accommodate all the people and we want to expand it but it seems to be impossible. We thought of buying a larger piece of land to build a Masjid, school for Muslim children and other utilities. The question is:
Is it permissible to sell the land on which the old Masjid is built and use the price in building the new one?
A:
If the reality is as you mentioned, that the current Masjid is very small and cannot be expanded and that it is necessary to build a larger Masjid for the Muslims, a school to educate their children and the related utilities, there is no harm in selling the land on which the current Masjid is built, razing the Masjid and using its price to buy a larger piece of land in a suitable place to build the new Masjid, school and other utilities. All of this aims at serving the public interest; however, everything should be carried out by those who are known for their trustworthiness, honesty and knowledge. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.