A section: It is not permitted to plant a tree in a mosque. Ahmad explicitly stated this, saying: "If a palm tree was planted after it became a mosque, then this was planted without right; thus, I do not like eating from it, and if the Imam were to uproot it, that would be permissible." This is because the mosque was not built for this, but was built for the remembrance of Allah, prayer, and the recitation of the Quran. Also, a tree harms the mosque and prevents those praying from praying in its spot; its leaves and fruit fall into the mosque, and sparrows and birds land on it and urinate in the mosque. Furthermore, children may gather in the mosque because of it and throw stones at it to make its fruit fall. However, if the palm tree was on land and its owner made it a mosque while the palm tree was in it, then there is no harm in it. Ahmad said in one instance: "There is no harm in it," meaning that he may sell its produce to the neighbors. He also said, in the narration of Abu Talib, regarding a lotus tree (nabqah): "It is not sold, but is made for the Muslims and the people of the neighborhood to eat from it." This, and Allah knows best, is because when the owner of the land made it a mosque with the palm tree in it, he effectively endowed the land and the palm tree along with it, without specifying its beneficiaries. Thus, it became like an absolute endowment for which no beneficiary was specified, and we have mentioned regarding it, in one of the narrations, that it is for the poor. But if its owner said, "This is an endowment for the mosque," then its fruit should be sold and spent on the mosque, just as if he had endowed it for the mosque while it was elsewhere. Abu al-Khattab said: "In my view, if the mosque is in need of the price of the tree's fruit, it should be sold, and its proceeds spent on its maintenance." He added: "Ahmad's statement that the neighbors eat it is interpreted as them maintaining it."

A section: Whatever remains of the mosque's mats and oil, for which there is no need, it is permitted to be placed in another mosque, or for it to be given as charity to the poor among its neighbors and others. The same applies if there is leftover reed or anything from its debris. Ahmad said regarding a mosque that was built and some of its timber, reeds, or anything from its debris remained: "It should be used to aid another mosque," or words to that effect. Al-Marwudhi said: "I asked Abu Abdullah about the mosque's mats, if something remained from them, or a piece of timber. He said:"