Question
In our country, many mosques are built with toilet facilities inside of them. Often, the restrooms will be on the ground floor and the prayer space (musallâ) will be on the floor above. Is this an acceptable arrangement?
Answer
Ideally, the toilet facilities should be constructed outside of the mosque building so that it is separate from the prayer area (musallâ). However, if this is impractical, either because of economic constraints or because of the size or nature of the plot upon which the mosque is built, then there is nothing wrong with having the toilet facilities constructed on the ground floor of the mosque and the prayer area set on the floor above.
There is nothing wrong with offering prayer in a place that is in the proximity of impurities as long as there is a physical barrier between the prayer space and those impurities, since the worshipper is praying on a pure surface.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The Earth has been made for me a mosque and a purification.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (438) and Sahîh Muslim (521)]
He also said: “All of the Earth is a mosque except for the graveyard and the bathroom.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhî (317), Sunan Abû Dâwûd (492), and Sunan Ibn Mâjah (745)]
As for the hadîth related on the authority of Ibn `Umar where the bathroom is mentioned as one of seven places wherein prayer is prohibited, it is unauthentic.
In any event, prayer in a mosque constructed with the musallâ separate from the toilet facilities – like where the prayer room is on the upper floor and the bathrooms are on the ground floor – does not constitute prayer inside of a bathroom.
It is permissible to construct a mosque in such a manner and prayer in such a mosque is most certainly valid. However, it is preferable to construct the bathroom facilities outside of the mosque building if that does not present any serious inconvenience.
And Allah knows best.
There is nothing wrong with offering prayer in a place that is in the proximity of impurities as long as there is a physical barrier between the prayer space and those impurities, since the worshipper is praying on a pure surface.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The Earth has been made for me a mosque and a purification.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (438) and Sahîh Muslim (521)]
He also said: “All of the Earth is a mosque except for the graveyard and the bathroom.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhî (317), Sunan Abû Dâwûd (492), and Sunan Ibn Mâjah (745)]
As for the hadîth related on the authority of Ibn `Umar where the bathroom is mentioned as one of seven places wherein prayer is prohibited, it is unauthentic.
In any event, prayer in a mosque constructed with the musallâ separate from the toilet facilities – like where the prayer room is on the upper floor and the bathrooms are on the ground floor – does not constitute prayer inside of a bathroom.
It is permissible to construct a mosque in such a manner and prayer in such a mosque is most certainly valid. However, it is preferable to construct the bathroom facilities outside of the mosque building if that does not present any serious inconvenience.
And Allah knows best.
-islamtoday.net
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