Following our stance against the Mega Mosque, MPACUK was hit by a barrage of arguments, the most prominent of all being that our stance against the Mosque was ‘unislamic,’ so we decided to organise a talk and workshop on Saturday 24th for those who are sincere in listening to our reasons behind our stance, who are sincere in their concern for our institutions, unlike those who sat on their ‘Islamic’ high horse without looking at the context behind our stance.

Who, without even bothering to find out what prompted us to resist this Mosque, decided to instead blindly, like puppets, believe that opposing Mosque building is haram and anyone who does so is not Muslim. 

These are the very same people who turn a blind eye to everything by labeling it ‘unislamic’, prime examples being politics is haram, voting is haram (need I go on?). However right now I am not going to go into the argument of why politics and voting are not haram, and how those who think politics is haram are turning a blind eye to their brothers and sisters being oppressed all over the world. No, today I would like to explain part of the reason for MPACUK’s stance against the Mega Mosque. There is a precedent for not building a Mosque if that Mosque isn't needed and if its going to cause more problems than it can solve.

And there are those who put up a mosque by way of mischief and infidelity - to disunite the Believers - and in preparation for one who warred against Allah and His Messenger aforetime. They will indeed swear that their intention is nothing but good; But Allah doth declare that they are certainly liars.

Never stand thou forth therein. There is a mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety; it is more worthy of the standing forth (for prayer) therein. In it are men who love to be purified; and Allah loveth those who make themselves pure.

Which then is best? - he that layeth his foundation on piety to Allah and His good pleasure? - or he that layeth his foundation on an undermined sand-cliff ready to crumble to pieces? and it doth crumble to pieces with him, into the fire of Hell. And Allah guideth not people that do wrong.

The foundation of those who so build is never free from suspicion and shakiness in their hearts, until their hearts are cut to pieces. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

(Surah at Tawba, 107-110)

Context in which the verses were revealed

When the Prophet (SAW) first arrived in Medina everyone wanted to have the honour of hosting him (SAW). To not offend anyone he allowed his camel to decide by letting go of its reins and wherever the camel eventually stopped the Prophet (SAW) would stay.

It happened to stop at an orchard owned by two orphans. The land was purchased and the first mosque of Islam was built on this spot and is called Masjid-e-Quba.

Now at the time there was a man called Abu Amir who would have become the leader of Medina if the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had not arrived to negotiate the ongoing civil war between the Aws and the Khazraj. As Prophet Muhammad (SAW) became the de facto leader of Medina, Abu Amir became more and more bitter and emerged as the leader of the hypocrites.

At the Battle of Tabuk against the Romans, Abu Amir had built a rival mosque next to Masjid-e-Quba called Masjid-e-Zarrar. He had asked Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to sanctify and legitimise it by praying in the Mosque, however Abu Amir really wanted to divide the Muslims and use his mosque to spread propaganda against Islam and Jihad. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) told Abu Amir to wait until after the Battle of Tabuk at which time Allah (SWT) revealed the verses above. After the revelations Prophet Muhammad (SAW) asked that the Mosque be destroyed and that order was carried out.

Explanation

The verses of the Quran use allegory, metaphor and real-world examples to establish precedents and laws. These precedents are for all time and are binding on Muslims. The inclusion of these verses in the Quran by Allah (SWT) was to remind Muslims to come that hypocrisy would infect the Ummah and that positive steps should be taken against it including destroying Mosques that are known places of hypocrisy and division.

The mosque built by Abu Amir was built right next to Masjid-e-Quba. There was no need from a worship point of view to build the mosque. The only purpose it served was to create sectarianism within the Muslim community which would lead to disunity and the weakening of the Ummah. Abu Amir believed that by causing division he could destroy the Muslims from within as all external forces by their enemies had failed due to the unity of the Muslims who were not divided on sectarian or racial lines.

Many have argued that to oppose mosque-building is a sin yet Allah (SWT) in the Quran makes it quite clear that if the mosque will create more problems than it will solve and lead to further disunity then it should not be built. No Muslim can argue against the Quran which has a higher status over hadiths and other Islamic sources.

Mosque building is considered extremely virtous in Islam however only where there is a need to build. Building mosques next to each other dilutes the unity of the community and prevents a single message from being delivered. Mosques built like this tend to create national, ethnic and religious divisions so that mosques become identified by being a "Deobandi mosque" or a "Salafi mosque" or a "Bengali Mosque" and begin to attract a specific type of Muslim into the congregation.

MPACUK poses some questions for you to think about

Now we ask you to think carefully about the following points:

Is there a need for the Mega Mosque to be built?

What kind of problems will the Mega Mosque be solving or will it just be creating more problems? For example:

Will it allow women on the committee?

Will it be non sectarian?

Will the committee be elected by democratic means?

What will its role be in this climate of ever increasing Islamophobia?

Will it stand up for our brother who has been locked up in Guantanomo Bay on no evidence?

Will it stand up for our sister who had her hijab ripped off her head yesterday?

Will it teach them and the rest of the Ummah how to defend ourselves?

The reason for opposing the Mega Mosque is that its just going to be a bigger version of the Mosques we already have in this country. It will be sectarian, women wont be allowed on the committee, it wont be democratic, it wont defend the Muslims, so why do we need a Mega Mosque when its just going to be another prayer hall. Don't we already have enough prayer halls already? What the Muslims in this country need is a MOSQUE, not another prayer hall. The Mega Mosque will not fulfill the needs of the Muslims in this country so for that reason MPACUK oppose the Mega Mosque being built. We will only back them if they are prepared to do something to change the situation we face in this country and teach the Muslims how to defend themselves - until that happens we will continue to oppose them.

Do you still not agree? Still have questions? Then come down to our workshop on Saturday to hear what MPACUK has to say about the role of the Mosques and if you are still not convinced then hold us to account.

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