We have a small Mosque ( Inside a House ) in our Town .We also have a land and some money to build a new Mosque witch was collected over the years for that purpose. We have a Mosque Committee elected yearly as well as Five member Permanent Board of Trustee, This Board was appointed 6-8 years ago when there were very few muslims in this town, Some of the members of Trustee who have left the town were replaced by the some members of Board of Trustee without holding any elections and obviously they have given these posts to the persons of their own choice, since than this Board of Trustee has virtually ruled this mosque because they have formed the constitution of the mosque according to their own convenience e.g., They only allow those members of the mosque to vote for committee who have been living in this town for more than 3 years, in that way only their approved persons could contest and vote in the election and people were seeing the same faces for years. About a year ago because of the pressures they allowed everybody to vote and in that way a new committee was elected.
After that elections it was revealed that the money for the new mosque has been put in a Saving Account which is drawing Interest ( Riba ) . Initially The Board Of Trustee ( from whom only 1-2 comes regularly to the Mosque unfortunately ) who are the ones to operate the account denied that we are getting Riba , than the active member of the Board who is wealthy and influential person of the town accepted that they have put the money in that account because they have Fatwa from Al Azhar that getting Riba in USA Banks is allowed
Problems in the administration committee of one of the mosques
Question: 10682
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.
We think that in this case you should make the best use of the money and put it to business use so that there will be halaal profits. After that, the mosque can be built with the capital and the profits. You should try to make sure that the people in charge of this project are good and trustworthy people who will make their best efforts. They should try to build this mosque quickly and do whatever is needed. If they cannot succeed in the elections or do not have a vote, then they can work with others and co-operate in matters where nothing haraam is involved. If some of those who are elected are not fit to serve on this committee which is in charge of (the mosque’s) affairs, then the others have to declare that they are not in agreement, and explain the reasons why they do not approve of those people who they think are not qualified to be elected or to vote, so that the people in charge of this charitable project will be good and trustworthy people. With regard to the ribaa, whatever they have taken, they are responsible for it and you have nothing to do with them or the interest payments that they have taken.
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Source:
Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah al-Jibreen
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