Is it permissible to adorn the mosque with Quranic verses, furnish it with luxurious carpets, illuminate it excessively beyond need despite the high cost, and install carved pillars?
The majority of jurists are of the opinion that it is reprehensible to decorate mosques with gold, silver, engravings, dyes, or inscriptions, as this distracts the worshipper from his prayer. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade it, and there are hadiths and narrations indicating its reprehensibility and that it is one of the signs of the Hour. It is not permissible to decorate the mosque with endowment funds, and the one who does so is liable for damages. As for carpeting and lighting the mosque as needed, it is Islamically required unless it reaches the point of extravagance. Regarding sculpted pillars, it is not permissible to install anything that contains images of living beings inside or outside the mosque. As for other sculptures, they fall under the ruling of reprehensible decoration.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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