Resolution No.(91) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies: 

“Building a Floor over the Mosque as Classrooms for Teaching the Quran“

Date: 6/6/1426 AH, corresponding to 13/7/2005 AD.

What is the ruling of Sharia as regards building classrooms over a mosque`s main place of prayer (Mosala)?

Answer: All success is due to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds.

After reviewing the opinions of the Muslim scholars and their evidences in this regard, the Board decided that it is impermissible to build classrooms over the mosque for teaching the Noble Quran due to the following reasons: It is permissible to build floors over  the mosque for prayer only, what is beneath the mosque and above it take its rules, adding a floor for a purpose other than offering prayer makes the mosque lose its status as a mosque, and some people may take this as a pretext for adding floors over mosques, so mosques can`t be considered as such any more. It was stated in the book entitled [Rud Al-Mohtaar Ala Aldurr Al-Mokhtar/Hashyat Ibn Abdeen/Part (1), Page (371)]: “If a mosque has been built and someone wanted to build over it i.e. he wanted to build a place of residence for the Imam, then that is forbidden.“ And Allah Knows Best.

Iftaa` Board
Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Chief Justice, Izzaldeen Al-Tamimi
Dr. Ahmad Hilayel
Dr. AbdulMajeed Al-Salaheen
Dr. Yousef Ghyzaan
Dr. Wasif Al-Bakhri
Dr. Abdukareem Al-Khasawneh
Sheikh Sae`id Hijjawi
Sheikh Nae`im Mujahid