Question:
In the United States many mosques organize their members according to language or nationality in order to collect funds.
For example:
- Tamil Muslim groups
- Uzbek Muslim groups
- Pakistani Muslim groups
These groups collect funds separately.
Sometimes, behind the scenes, there is even competition about which group can collect more money.
So, he asks: Is this the correct approach for collecting funds for a mosque? Should not everyone be treated simply as Muslims rather than being divided by language or nationality?
Answer:
This approach will not work.
Why? Because each administrative group has its own mosque. Suppose Tamil Muslims come together and establish a mosque. Once they establish that mosque, naturally it will be the Tamil Muslims who mainly use it. They will also be responsible for its maintenance, its benefits, and its problems.
If that is the case, how can they go to Pakistani Muslims and expect them to give money for that mosque? The Pakistani Muslims may have their own mosque which they need to support.
Therefore, it is natural that people say: “We are collecting funds from Tamil Muslims for the management of this mosque.”
How can that be considered wrong?
You are asking whether everyone should be united into one group. But is that practically possible?
If there were a government authority, it might issue an order and force such unity. But if you tell a Tamil Muslim to merge with Urdu-speaking Muslims, will he easily do so? If you tell the Uzbek Muslims to dissolve their group and join yours, what will they think? They will suspect that you are trying to take control.
So, we should not do things that create such suspicions. Instead, each group should function within the area and community that naturally belongs to them.
Even within our own country we see this.
Take Tamil Nadu for example. Even within one town there might be a North Street Mosque and a South Street Mosque, or a Big Mosque and a Small Mosque. Each mosque collects funds separately. They do not collect all the money together and divide it equally between the mosques. If they tried to do that, would people agree? They would not.
Why? Because the larger mosque may have more people giving donations, while the smaller mosque may receive fewer donations. If you ask them to divide everything equally, people will not agree.
So even locally, within one country, each mosque collects funds separately. Does any town collect money under the name “All Muslims of Madurai” and then distribute it equally among all mosques? No one would accept that.
Even though charity is done for the sake of Allah, a person will still consider what is closest to him. If the mosque is in his own street, he will give more. But if someone asks him for money for a mosque in a distant town, he may say: “Write my name for 500 rupees,” and give only a small amount.
That is human psychology. People are more willing to donate when the cause is connected to them personally.
If an Uzbek Muslim comes and asks you for money, will you give him the same way? You might hesitate because you do not know him. But if he asks within his own Uzbek community, they will support him.
Therefore, Uzbek Muslims will go to the people of their own community and collect funds from them. If you go and ask those people instead, they may not give to you.
So, this is not really a problem.
This is simply a matter of administrative convenience.
In fact, throughout the world things operate in this way.