Is it permissible for the association to give honorary awards to mosque donors?
Awards should not be given to donors for building mosques, lest their intentions be tainted. The fundamental principle is that a donor awaits recompense from Allah, seeking His pleasure. The legal texts in the Quran and Sunnah encourage doing good deeds to seek Allah's pleasure, promising Paradise and matters of the hereafter, which helps in fostering sincerity and avoiding self-admiration and showing off. Souls should always be attached to Allah's pleasure, and they should be encouraged to do good by mentioning the lawful incentives found in the Book and the Sunnah. There are many examples in the Quran and Sunnah that motivate a Muslim to give and attach souls to Paradise, such as the verse: "And the example of those who spend their properties, seeking means to the approval of Allah and assuring [thereby] themselves, is like that of a garden on high ground which receives much rain, so it yields its fruit in double. And if it does not receive much rain, then a drizzle [is sufficient]. And Allah is Seeing of what you do." (Al-Baqarah: 265). And in the Sunnah, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Whoever builds a mosque for the sake of Allah, seeking thereby the countenance of Allah, Allah will build for him a similar [house] in Paradise."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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