Is it allowed to enter other religious places other than mosque? [duplicate]

Question

Assalamu alaikkum!

I need to know if it is allowed for a Muslim to enter a church or a temple or a gurudhuara? If so, is it allowed to eat the sweet or other eatables given there?

Please do provide any hadeedh or fatwa opposing this.

Jazakallah khair!!

Answer 1

As you inquired for:

Is it allowed to enter other religious places other than mosque?

Let’s respond to your inquiry by i.e. stating regarding entering a church for a Muslim as a related example. Thus, in the mentioned item, there could be explained some points, such as:

• It could be permissible if that church considered as a deserted or abandoned place and is not at the attention or use of evangelist (as a situation which could be vulnerable …), consequently, it can be considered as a permissible part … (Of course you ought to pay attention to some points if you intend to say prayers …)
• Masjid (mosque) is a place for Muslims' worship and it is not permissible for Muslims to keep it empty by going to worship places of other religions.
• And as the final issue, frequenting churches and being in touch with religious propagations by Christians and Jews are permissible only for those who are at a high level of religious knowledge and belief in Islamic teachings in a way such that he will not be influenced by non-Muslims' beliefs.

By paying heed to the above-mentioned items, it seems that you’d better leave doing that. Since it can have negative effect you unwanted. And even it can be considered as a confirmation of them (if you attend there or other similar places such as temple…) and these points could be the same for getting sweet for them as well. Besides, you are not aware if that eatable thing would be definitely halal as you get it from a non-Muslim person. Therefore we ought to behave somehow not to confirm them or their acts as non-Muslim.

Or as a determined fatwa (of Ayatollah Khamenei -a Shia scholar or Marja’al-Taqlid- :

It would be impermissible if your attendance leads to a Mafsadah. (e.g. deviation to the left way, misusing of others from this matter, if some people accuse you …)

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Reference:

• www.islamquest.net
• farsi.khamenei.ir

Answer 2

We know that Allah has forbidden to destroy Churches and Temples etc. according to Verse of Surat al Hajj (22:40), but this doesn't mean that a Muslim should accept them as a Place where Allah is still worshiped according to this fatwa. But you should know that most Fatwa come from Scholars coming from countries where Islamic Thinking and Lifestyle is dominant so they are sometimes hardly applicable in non-Muslim countries! So if possible you should try to find some fatwas from local fatwa councils! In my Answer here i added a comment for a fatwa which considers the situation of Muslims living in non-muslim countries!

And as they are revealed in the Quran entering them isn't a sin, but what might be more interesting is the worship inside of them. As we know when 'Umar ibn al Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) entered Bayt-al_Maqdis (Al-Quds/Jerusalem) to receive the Keys of the city he has chosen a place beside a Chruch to pray and thank Allah, so this is the most preferable thing to do as it seems to me!

But in some cases -in non Muslim countries- you might be in the situation that you should assist to a marriage, funeral etc. in a Church for example. My advise will be you should over think if you really can reject going to the church without being impolite or going there. As somebody who has a lot of non-Muslim relatives this situation could come to meet me more or less each year!

Well if i go to the church i only participate in matters which are acceptable for me as a Muslim this means if i find in a text anything showing shirk i won't speak it out or sing it with them or if the preacher made a prayer (du'a) including shirk i won't say amin! As you might know there are many Quran Verses saying if the mushrikyn offend Allah you should leave the place until they change the subject! So this seems to me in that very situation the best way to do it by rejecting these false taughts in my heart!

And Allah knows best!