Question:
What is the criterion for something to be called a mosque? Must have five daily prayers be conducted there, or only Jumu’ah must be held?
Answer:
The answer is that mosques are of two types. The first type is a mosque that Allahﷻ Himself designated as a mosque, or that was designated by the Messengerﷺ of Allahﷻ. These are mosques established through divine revelation. For example, Masjid al-Haram is a mosque. No human decided it would be a mosque. Allahﷻ Himself designated its location and instructed that it be built there. Such mosques cannot be changed by anyone. They remain mosques permanently.
The second type is a mosque that humans themselves designate as a mosque.This type has several forms. The main condition is that it must be dedicated to Allahﷻ.
For example, suppose a person owns a four-storey building. Each floor belongs to him and has its own ownership and value. If he decides, “I dedicate the second floor to Allahﷻ and make it a mosque,” and he declares it as a mosque and allows people to pray there, and he does not claim ownership benefits such as rent or personal use, and he does not treat it as his personal property but treats it as belonging to Allahﷻ, then it becomes a mosque.
There is no revelation required for this. It becomes a mosque based on human intention and dedication.Once it is dedicated to Allahﷻ, it becomes a mosque.
It can even be temporary. For example, a person may say, “I dedicate this place as a mosque for ten years.” Allahﷻ will accept that. It does not have to be permanent.
If someone has land that he does not need for ten years, he can dedicate it as a mosque for that period. During those ten years, he should not interfere with it or treat it as personal property. It must function according to the rules of a mosque. After ten years, if he takes it back and uses it for something else, it is not a sin. He receives the reward for the period it was used as a mosque.
Abu Bakr (RA) converted part of his own house into a mosque after accepting Islam. He prayed there regularly. This is mentioned in Bukhari Hadith 476. Even though it was inside his house, it was considered a mosque because it was dedicated to Allahﷻ.
Similarly, a blind companion invited the Prophetﷺ to his house and requested him to pray at a specific spot so that he could designate that spot as a mosque. The Prophetﷺ accepted and prayed there. This is mentioned in Bukhari Hadith 840. This shows that even a place inside a house can become a mosque if dedicated to Allahﷻ.
Another important hadith states that the entire earth has been made a mosque for the Muslim community (Bukhari Hadith 335). This means Muslims can pray anywhere.A rented place can also be a mosque. If people rent a building and dedicate it fully as a mosque and apply mosque rules there, it becomes a mosque.
However, if someone simply allows Jumu’ah prayer in a hall but still treats it as personal property and uses it for other personal purposes, it is not a mosque. It must be fully dedicated to Allahﷻ.
The main criterion is intention and dedication to Allahﷻ. It must not be used for personal storage or personal authority once dedicated.
It is not necessary that five daily prayers or Jumu’ah must be conducted for it to qualify as a mosque. The determining factor is dedication to Allahﷻ.