Play area inside the masjid

QUESTION: Is it permissible to set a place inside the masjid for playing in order to encourage young people to attend and remain in the masjid, and for fear of them becoming lost on the streets? Some masaajid have already done so, substantiating that with the playing of the Abyssinians in the masjid at the time of the Prophet ﷺ. So is this correct? I hope that you will explain to me the ruling on this act along with the evidence. May Allah reward you with good. ANSWER: Sheikh Saleem Al-Hilali hafidhahullah (24.Sha'ban.1443 - 28/03/22): “Masjids are the houses of Allah. They are built merely for His remembrance and worship. It is legislated to purify and cleanse it from everything that will spoil it. Allah the Most High said (in what is translated to mean) “...in houses of worship which Allah has ordained to be raised, and where His Name is mentioned. He is glorified therein morning and evening by men who are not distracted—either by buying or selling—from Allah’s remembrance, or performing prayer, or paying alms-tax. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will tremble” [Surah An-Nûr: 36 - 37]. However, this does not prevent people from meeting up therein and having some downtime in permissible speech, eating, drinking, and enjoyment, especially on days of festivity ('Eid), provided that this doesn't become a custom that is adopted inside the masjid, diverting from the purpose for which it was built; remembrance of Allah, establishing prayer, reciting Qur’an, and establishing knowledge based gatherings. As for turning the masaajid into a playground -outside prayer times- where children play on a regular and permanent basis, then this is not permissible, rather it is a manifest evil; because this will restrict the worshippers during these times and undermine the reason for which the masjid was built, along with what it necessitates of disrespect (of the masjid) and exposing it to dirt, and sometimes impurities, and exposing its items to damage, and exposing the Qur’an and Islamic books to harm from the children; and usually if the child is given freedom, he will not withhold from spoiling and damaging things and desecrating the play area. Sheikhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, rahimahullah said: “The masjid is to be preserved from all that which undermines it and disturbs the worshippers therein, including children raising their voices therein and spoiling the mats and so on, especially at prayer times, as this is a great evil.” [End quote from Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (22/204)] Sheikh Abu Bakr Al-Hammadi hafidhahullah (3.Ramadhan.1443 - 4/04/22): “This is not legislated. For indeed the masaajid were not built for amusement, but merely for the remembrance of Allah. And what occurred from the playing of the Abyssinians was a one off, coincidental occurrence which took place on the day of 'Eid.” Sheikh Abdullah Lamh Al-Khawlani hafidhahullah (26.Sha'ban.1443 - 29/03/22): “This is not appropriate. (Allah said in what is translated to mean) “...in houses of worship which Allah has ordained to be raised, and where His Name is mentioned. He is glorified therein morning and evening.” [Surah An-Nûr: 36]. (He also said in what is translated to mean) “Whoever honours Allah's symbols, it is certainly out of the piety of the heart.” [Surah Al-Hajj: 32] And he ﷺ said: “The masaajid were not built for this (i.e. reporting lost property), but they were in fact built for the remembrance of Allah, prayer and what follows on from that.” As for the playing of the Abyssinians, then we don't know it to have happened except once, and it was a playing approved by the Prophet ﷺ, as for the playing of these people, it's not known what is its condition. Furthermore, taking that as a regular habit is contrary to the evidence, and what has come concerning the playing of the Abyssinians does not prove that at all. And the rulings of the masajid are well known in the books of fiqh.