Dar al-Salam

Yes, it is permissible to pay Zakat to a project like Dar al-Salam: it falls under the Quranic category Fi sabilillah — “for the sake of Allah” — one of the eight categories for Zakat set out in Sura at-Tawba (verse 60).

This permissibility has been confirmed by numerous contemporary scholars and by the Islamic juristic authorities, who hold that the erection and founding of Mosques and Islamic centres falls within this category, particularly when it concerns a Muslim minority that, without Zakat funds, would be unable to build its own Mosque; and they have also permitted it on the grounds of religious necessity — the situation in which the Muslim community in Ticino, Switzerland, finds itself today.

The Noble Quran (Sura at-Tawba, verse 60) established eight categories for Zakat, one of which is Fi sabilillah. On the meaning of this category, scholars have offered three readings: one that restricts it to the struggle for Allah, a very broad one that extends it to every good deed, and an intermediate one — the one held to be correct — which refers it to every effort made to raise the word of Allah; and an essential part of this effort is Da'wah, the call to Islam and its transmission, and the observance of the worship of Allah for the Muslim minority.

On this basis, contemporary juristic authorities have ruled that it is permissible to spend Zakat on the building of Mosques and Islamic centres in countries with a Muslim minority, holding that this falls within the safeguarding of the community's religion and contributes to preserving its identity. This is confirmed by the Fatwa of the International Union of Muslim Scholars — signed by Prof. Dr. Ali Mohieddin Al-Qaradaghi, its Secretary General and Vice-President of the European Council for Fatwa and Research — and by the ruling of the Islamic Fiqh Council of the Muslim World League. This is not a new position: the extension whereby the Fi sabilillah category is held to include good works is already present in the early commentaries, among them that of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi and Ibn al-Arabi; and in 1944 Egypt's Dar al-Ifta issued an explicit Fatwa on the permissibility of spending Zakat on the building of Mosques.

One important point must be clarified: these Fatwas and juristic opinions concern the Mosques and centres of Muslim minorities. For the Mosques of Muslim-majority countries, by contrast, most jurists do not permit Zakat to be spent on them. Dar al-Salam, in Lugano, Switzerland, falls fully within the first case: it is one of the houses of worship of a Muslim minority, and after twenty years renting we find ourselves unable — without these funds and without this category of Zakat — to build an Islamic centre in which the worship of Allah is observed.

Sources: International Union of Muslim Scholars, Fatwa no. 8524 (iums.me/8524); European Council for Fatwa and Islamic Research; Islamic Fiqh Council of the Muslim World League; Egypt's Dar al-Ifta, 1944.

For any question concerning your specific situation, Imam Sheikh Samir Radouan Jelassi is available to the Muslim community.

Yes, and for us this is the most precious form. On the "Card" tab you can choose to turn your donation into a monthly recurring one. A recurring donation enters our fundraising plan with certainty — and for those of us who plan, that is more valuable than a large one-off donation we cannot foresee.

A recurring donation is also a classic form of Sadaqa jariya: it keeps bearing fruit month after month, without you having to do anything.

You can cancel it at any time, no questions asked.

Yes. It is one of the noblest forms of Sadaqa jariya. The Prophet (s.a.w.s) said: "When the son of Adam dies, his deeds come to an end except for three — a Sadaqa jariya, a useful knowledge left behind, or a righteous child who makes Du'a for him." (Muslim).

When you donate by card, in the bank transfer reference, or in the donation notes, you can write "in memory of [name]". The LMT council will keep a private register of names and will make Du'a for them at the opening of the centre. No name will be published without the family's explicit consent.

Lega dei Musulmani in Ticino (LMT) is registered in the Commercial Register since 20 June 2005 with no. CHE-112.406.415, and is exempt from cantonal and federal taxes on its own income since 13 March 2014.

We are verifying whether the same exemption extends to the deductibility of individual donations for the donor. This is a separate verification from the association's exemption and requires formal confirmation from the tax authorities. We will update this page as soon as we have the written response.

For Italian, French and German donors: deductibility depends on the laws of your country and on bilateral agreements with Switzerland. Keep the automatic receipt you receive by email — it is the document you will need when filing your tax return.

The milestones in order. By 15 September 2026 we close Phase 1 fundraising (land + permits). From September 2026 to the end of 2027 the building permits are filed and the financial coverage of Phase 2 is sought. From early 2027 onwards — insha'Allah — construction begins. The estimated construction time is around eighteen months.

Realistically, the centre is expected to open between 2028 and 2029.

All updates on the milestones are published weekly on this landing page and monthly in the public report.

The honest answer: the plot would remain ours until the deadline agreed with the seller expires, but we would risk losing the right to purchase and having to start the search again. That is why this deadline is not symbolic — it is real.

In any case, every franc donated stays in the dedicated escrow account (a PostFinance IBAN separate from LMT's day-to-day operations) and is used exclusively for the Dar al-Salam project. If Phase 1 does not close in time, the LMT council will inform the community on how to proceed, in full transparency.

Our responsibility towards those who donate comes before our calendar.

Yes, we are waiting for you. Our Mosque is open all day, often at night too. You can find us gathered at prayer times — the best moment to understand who we are is Friday, at Jumu'a, when the whole community is present.

Address: Via Bottogno 12, 6962 Lugano-Viganello.

If you prefer a private appointment to discuss the project with the president or the council, write to info@islam-lugano.ch. We reply within 48 hours.

For donations by card, Apple Pay and Google Pay, the receipt arrives by email automatically. For other methods, if you do not receive it, write to info@islam-lugano.ch with the date and amount of the donation and we will send it to you.

All receipts bear CHE-112.406.415 and the reference of the tax exemption, valid for the income tax return.