Question:
What do the scholars and experts of religion say regarding the naming of a mosque? Can mosques be named after dignitaries or the people who built them?
Answer:
All perfect praise is for Allah ﷻ, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah ﷻ, and that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger.
It is permissible to name a mosque after a dignitary or an individual. Often the name is used of the person who built the mosque, other times the name of a famous scholar is used as a way of honouring them. Naming mosques also allows people to differentiate between them and know their location. Such as the famous mosques in Cairo, the Amr ibn al-As Mosque and the Imam Shafi’i Mosque
The naming of a mosque should be based on good intentions: “Actions are judged by the intentions.” (Bukhari) If it is for an evil, personal motive, then this is a reprehensible action.
And Allah ﷻ knows best.
This fatwa is written by Dr. Hafiz Muhammad Munir Al-Azhari
