The well-known “Seven Mosques” here, a group of six rather than seven small mosques, are facing an uncertain future. Five have been closed due to nearby expansion and maintenance work while one, the Salman Al-Farsi Mosque, has been inundated with Umrah and Haj pilgrims. There is every expectation that it will collapse under the constant barrage of visitors. There is no clarity at this stage as to which government body is responsible for the upkeep of these mosques. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), Madina Mayoralty and the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (the Hai'a), each say other bodies are responsible for the maintenance of these places of worship. However, the Hai'a is the only authority that is currently seeing to the welfare of these mosques. Some Hai'a staffers say they are doing this work because they want reward from Allah and want to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (peace be upon him). In an interview with Okaz/Saudi Gazette on Jan. 28, 2010, Engineer Abdul Aziz Al-Hussayyin, Mayor of Madina, said the Seven Mosques would be closed because they would be renovated like other historical and archeological sites in the area. However, the mayor admitted that while the mayoralty wanted to protect these sites, many were demolished without his knowledge. Furthermore, the mayoralty opposed the demolitions but did not have the power to prevent this from happening. This has resulted in the Historical Area being neglected and many mosques closed down. Al-Fateh Mosque, another mosque in the area, is also under great pressure. This mosque is on a mountain and receives hundreds of thousands of visitors via a paved route running to the top. There visitors can enter the mosque and take photographs. Eid Bin Abdullah Al-Sa'edi says he has been working in this Historical Area for the past 20 years. He adds that this area is a source of income for many people who sell food, soft drinks and cold water to Umrah and Haj pilgrims and visitors. Others use their vehicles as taxis to transport visitors from one place to another. The SCTA says it is an executive body and is facing pressure from the Hai'a, stressing that there are many violations of the Shariah and creed (Aqeedah). The Hai'a has deployed a number of translators in several languages to explain the violations to visitors. The Ulema have issued an edict (fatwa) that it is not permissible to make special visits to the Seven Mosques (Al-Masajid Al-Sabe') because they have no special religious status according to the Shariah. __
