Muhammad Bin Abdullah Masjid or Ayodhya Mosque is being constructed in Dhannipur, Ayodhya district, Uttar Pradesh, at the Supreme Court of India designated site following the verdict related to the Ayodhya dispute case.[2][3]
| Muhammad Bin Abdullah Masjid | |
|---|---|
Ayodhya Mosque | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Branch/tradition | Sunni |
| Governing body | Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board |
| Status | Under construction |
| Predecessor | Babri Masjid |
| Location | |
| Municipality | Dhannipur, Ayodhya district |
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
| Country | India |
  Shown within Uttar Pradesh  Muhammad bin Abdullah Masjid (India) | |
| Geographic coordinates | 26°45′43″N 82°00′07″E / 26.762°N 82.002°E |
| Architecture | |
| Funded by |
|
| Groundbreaking | 26 January 2021 |
The construction of the Mosque and associated complex is under the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) trust.[4][5] The Dhannipur Mosque is almost 22 km away from the Ram Mandir, Ayodhya,[6] the former site of its predecessor, the Babri Masjid.
The construction began on 26 January 2021.[4] The mosque was officially named as Ahmadullah Shah Mosque, as an honour to the leader of Indian Independence war of 1857, Maulavi Ahmadullah Shah, but was later renamed as Muhammad Bin Abdullah Masjid., after the Islamic prophet Muhammad.[7]
Location
Dhannipur is a hamlet located in Sohawal tehsil in Ayodhya district. The designated plot for the mosque is located at a distance of about 25 kilometres from the Ram Mandir site.
Construction
The project was formally launched by the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board by hoisting the national flag and planting saplings on Republic Day of 2021. The Mosque complex includes a hospital, museum, library, a community kitchen which can feed a maximum of 2000 people per day, an Indo-Islamic Cultural Research Centre and Publication House in addition to the mosque.[8]
Around 40 per cent of the donations received by the Trust are given by Hindus, while Muslims have contributed 30 per cent. The other 30 per cent of the total donations are corporate donations. Foundation secretary Athar Hussain confirmed that the Trust has to date received Rs 40 lakhs of donations and 40 per cent of it has been contributed by the Hindu community.[9]
Disagreement
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has stated that the construction of the mosque is against the Waqf Act and is illegal under Shariyat law.[10] AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also claimed that donating money for construction and praying at the mosque is haraam (forbidden) according to Islamic principles to which the Mosque Trust replied that "serving humanity is not haraam".[11]
Ownership dispute
Two sisters from Delhi filed a petition in Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court claiming ownership of the land allotted for the mosque along with surrounding 28 acres of land which they said was given to their father at the time of partition.[12]