Question: Can a Muslim pray for the protection of temples, churches, and places of worship of non-Muslims? Maulana Sajjad Nomani prays for this and says it is permissible. He argues that if it were forbidden in Islam, Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) would not have left any place of worship of the Pharaohs in Egypt, and Ubaydullah ibn al-Jarrah and Khalid ibn al-Walid would not have left any place of worship in Iraq and Syria, yet these places still exist today.
Answer: Do not pay attention to Sajjad Nomani’s statements; he often makes contradictory remarks. He considers Shias as his allies but does not regard the people of Tawheed as his friends. He constantly criticizes Saudi Arabia and labels its rulers as agents of Jews, while openly praising the enemies of Muslims, the Shias. Recently, I listened to an interview on Millat Times where he praised the Shias and claimed that Iran is the true supporter of Palestinian Muslims, despite the fact that Iranian Shias have caused immense suffering and destruction to the lives of thousands of Palestinian Muslims. People with insight are well aware of this, but individuals like Sajjad Nomani are blind to it.
A Muslim cannot pray for the protection of temples, churches, and places of worship of non-Muslims; this act is not permissible. Islam came to establish the worship of one Allah. How can a Muslim pray to Allah for the protection of places where other than Allah is worshipped? Praying for the protection of churches is a separate issue from destroying them, and there is a vast difference between the two.
Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, has commanded us in Surah Al-An’am: “And do not insult those they invoke other than Allah, lest they insult Allah in enmity without knowledge.” This verse does not mean that we should honor other deities or befriend disbelievers.
Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi (may Allah preserve him) ❪Jeddah Dawah Center, Hayy Al-Salamah – Saudi Arabia❫
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