The Ruling of Donation Boxes In The Masjid by Shaykh Dr. ʿAbdullah ibn Ṣulfīq aẓ-Ẓafīrī

Pivotal Quote

“The general rule is that there is no prohibition in doing so. If a particular masjid is under the umbrella of a Muslim government and that government forbids putting donation boxes, then yes, it is forbidden to do so because we are commanded to listen to those in position and authority over us. So [in this case], we will say that it is not permissible.

However, in the non-Muslim lands we will say that there is no rule against doing so…”

Question:

Is it permissible for us to put donation boxes in the masjid to gather money for the expenses of the masjid, as many say that this was not done in the time of the Prophet ﷺ

Answer:

The general rule concerning this is that it is permissible. It falls under the category of what Allāh says,

وَتَعَاوَنُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلْبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقْوَىٰ﴿

“And corroborate with one another in righteousness and piety.” [Sūrah al-Māʾidah 5:2]

So in doing something like this, making it easier for the people to donate to help with the expenses of the masjid by putting in a box, this is something that is without doubt a means of corroborating upon righteousness and piety. And so, there is no prohibition against doing so.

However, if putting these donations out becomes a means of supporting some partnership and some ḥizbī group, to the extent that everyone listens to and obeys and makes their allegiance and disavowal to some particular sect because of their donation to a particular group or the likes, if this is the case, the donation box has a different ruling.

The general rule is that there is no prohibition in doing so. If a particular masjid is under the umbrella of a Muslim government and that government forbids putting donation boxes, then yes, it is forbidden to do so because we are commanded to listen to those in position and authority over us. So [in this case], we will say that it is not permissible.

However, in the non-Muslim lands we will say that there is no rule against doing so. There is one exception to this, which is if we are living in a non-Muslim land, and the government of that land forbade any religious organization from putting a donation box at the door. If the government (even if a non-Muslim one) forbids us, then we are not to do so. It is an obligation upon the Muslims to abide by the laws of the lands in which they live. As long as you are living in a country, you have an obligation to follow the laws of that country. Part of the agreement of you having permission to live there is that you abide by the rules. So if a country has laws in which no donation box can be put up, then they are not to go up. And Allāh knows best.

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