Salam,

Recently we had this same problem at the Masjid. There was a Family Night going on, and on the same day there were 3 other events going on. All of them wanted exposure at Jumah, and so we gave it to them. If there is choice in which events you can go to, then all the better. It makes the Muslim population in that area feel more empowered and really helps people feel included. When it comes to Jumah announcements, I strongly feel that to have just one person very un-emphatically announce everything is just wrong. People who are passionate about the event should be given the time to go and appeal to the people (albeit in a short time period) so as long as the announcement has been screened before hand for objectionable material/speech.

If he had permission from the ‘Shyakh/Imam’, why would he ask you?

I’m in Houston….
in particular order

ISGH Stamp or Masjid official Signature on one of the cards/posters means its okay

see that event on the official announcement list means its okay…

if ur part of the board, just call up the other board members and ask shura and see what they say and let him do it if its cool…..

worse comes to worse, make independent ijtihad of the issue and asses the arms and benefits

allahu’Alam

Some of the masajid in Toronto use online booking forms. You simply go online and book the relevant facilities on the masjid website. Websites like http://torontomuslims.com/ come in handy also (there is one for Houston and Chicago I believe). All in all, the stronger the community, the less likely these things are to be an issue.

Personally, I do not think marketing is an Islamic science, nor should we try and make it one. Fliers are nothing but pollution, we don’t even read them- and I wonder how much benefit these events even have on the community…they never seem to go as we want them to.

As soon as I read the original post, I thought of many masaajid Ive already been to where written permission is required from Masjid authorities, on a copy of the actual flyer or poster being put up or distributed.

That way you can’t just make a verbal claim, or imply that a slip of paper granting permission is for ABC collateral when in fact it is for XYZ.

As for your other question – who decides what is “Islamic” or not – there should be a plain, clear public notice that final decision rests with the masjid authorities. They can refuse to allow aforementioned advertising without reason.

There are some events that come up that create debate among the community due to their possibly un-Islamic nature. It is advised that we don’t give our own fatwas about it, but rather consult a person of knowledge and act upon his or her advice. If there is a known deviant group, or one that conducts controversial events, in your community it would be advisable to have a 2-3 day prior notice for any flyering to give time to consult the right people about it and so you don’t have to respond (with or without proper guidance) on the spot. Allaahu ta’Ala Alam.

I went to the Imam after asking around and explained my situation to him. He said leave them on the counter, I will post them.

In short, the fliers must go through the Imam for review and then posted but this should be a fast process. It shouldn’t take ages. Wallah u alam