Is the destruction of Hindu temples allowed in Islam?

July 29, 2024

1 min read 1 min

Question

Is the destruction of Hindu temples allowed in Islam? Can we change temples into mosques? If yes, what are the references from the Qur’an? What about the many verses that different Muslim scholars present and say that temples can be destroyed and that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also converted many temples into mosques?

Answer

Salaam,

Thank you for writing to us.

The destruction of Hindu temples is not allowed in Islam, and temples cannot be converted into mosques unless the property is voluntarily sold by Hindus and purchased by Muslims, who can then make necessary changes to turn it into a mosque.

The actions that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) undertook as the Rasul of Allah cannot be replicated by ordinary Muslims. Furthermore, some of his directives were specific to the Arabian Peninsula, and they do not apply outside this territory.

For more details, you may refer to the following essay by Ustaz Javed Ahmad Ghamidi:

اردو: خدا کے فیصلے

English: Verdicts of God

I hope this helps.

Mushfiq Sultan
Al-Mawrid

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Mushfiq Sultan serves as an Assistant Fellow at Al-Mawrid and manages Al-Mawrid’s Query Service. His responsibilities at Al-Mawrid encompass research, writing, creation of educational content on various aspects of Islam and responding to the questions received at Al-Mawrid, thereby contributing to the institute’s mission of fostering a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the religion. Presently, he is working on the Hindi translation of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi’s important works, Mīzān and Al-Bayān. He has an exceptional interest in world religions, their philosophies, and their mutual relations. He published his first book ‘Muhammad (saws) in the Bible- An Exposition on Isaiah 42’ in 2016. He has written articles on Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism. Mushfiq has been teaching at Al-Mawrid Institute since 2018 and can be reached at sultanmushafiq@gmail.com