Wells Run Dry During Drought: Is It Permissible to Take Water from Mosques for Personal Use?

During the dry season and periods of drought, residents in several regions of Central Java, West Java, and the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) are experiencing a clean water crisis. In several cases, mosques or prayer rooms (mushola) remain places that possess water supplies for ablution and other purposes. This raises the question: is it permissible to take water from a mosque for personal use during the dry season? What is the religious ruling?

Mosque facilities are public property used for the worship activities of its congregation. However, instances are sometimes found where individuals use mosque equipment for personal interests, such as carpets, cleaning tools, or even clean water.

Quoting El Balad, the former Mufti of Egypt, Ali Jum’ah, stated that every facility that has been endowed (waqf) for a mosque—such as mats, lamps, brooms, various cleaning tools, or water—must not be used except for the needs of the mosque. According to him, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught the importance of always maintaining mosque facilities and forbade people from using them for purposes other than the mosque’s interests.

In a hadith, the Prophet (PBUH) said: “From Abu Salih, he said: it was said that if a man removes pebbles from the mosque, the pebbles would plead (in the Name of Allah) to that person (not to remove them).” (HR. Abu Dawud).

Ali Jum’ah mentioned that every mosque congregant or person in charge of mosque affairs must fear Allah SWT in the houses of Allah. They are obligated to carry out their duties with honesty and sincerity. He emphasised that using any mosque equipment for purposes other than mosque affairs is a sin and constitutes a form of betrayal.

This is because betraying a trust (amanah) is an act disliked by Allah SWT and His Messenger. Allah SWT says: “O you who have believed, do not betray Allah and the Messenger or betray your trusts while you know [the consequence].” (QS. Al Anfal: 27).