the prayer in the future, for repentance wipes away what preceded it. Your deliberate abandonment of the prayer during that period removes a person from the fold of Islam, according to the sounder of the two scholarly opinions. However, if you turn to Allah with a sound repentance and thereafter guard the prayer, that will be sufficient for you, God willing.
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Building and renovating mosques
Question: Is it permissible for non-Muslims to undertake the construction and renovation of mosques, given that this would entail their entering them and perhaps sitting and speaking inside them?
Answer: One should not be lax in this matter or place trust in unbelievers by commissioning them to carry out the Muslims’ affairs—especially the supervision and construction of mosques. Rather, the task should be entrusted to Muslim workers, and they are many, praise be to Allah.
Accordingly, one must take precautions and avoid such arrangements. The building, renovation and repair of mosques should be carried out by Muslim labourers and Muslim contractors, and they are plentiful, praise be to Allah; there is no need to turn away from them in favour of others.
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Praying in a mosque that faces a graveyard
Question: In our village there is an old mosque where the Friday and daily congregational prayers are held. The mosque faces both an old and a new cemetery, and there are several graves attached to its qiblah wall. As is known, a walkway for men and women passes through this cemetery, and there is also a road for cars. What is the ruling on praying in this mosque?