Most of the public toilets along the Kingdom’s highways, especially on highways between the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, are glaring examples of poor maintenance and total negligence. These toilets are mainly attached to mosques situated adjacent to gas stations and rest houses along the highways. Road users, especially pilgrims, have no alternatives other than using these facilities for making ablutions and offering prayers during their travel.

The terrible condition of these mosques and negligence in their maintenance is shameful and disgraceful to Saudi Arabia, which is spending tens of millions of riyals to offer the best possible services for the pilgrims and visitors every year. A number of noted scholars, preachers and prayer leaders blame the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance for the poor state of mosques and public toilets on highways. Speaking to Al-Riyadh Arabic daily, they called for taking urgent steps to address this pressing problem.

Sheikh Khaled Al-Dawud, a judge and imam of Princess Haya bint Abdul Aziz Mosque, noted that the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and its officials are paying due attention and carrying out proper maintenance of tens of thousands mosques spread over various regions.

“We hope that they would also give equal attention and care to mosques on highways. This was more significant as these mosques and public toilets are mainly used by the Haj and Umrah pilgrims as well as tourists and visitors coming from all parts of the world,” he said.

Sheikh Khaled drew attention to the miserable condition of these mosques. “There are old prayer rugs in most of these mosques. There can be seen dust and mud piled up inside these mosques due to poor maintenance. Air-conditioners are not properly working. Copies of the Holy Qur’an could be seen unattended and even torn. Toilets at these mosques are untidy and unfit for use. They are littered with tissues and other rubbish. Some of them even lack water. Therefore, many pilgrims prefer open space in the desert instead of using these dirty and foul-smelling toilets,” he said while attributing all these to the total negligence on the part of the authorities concerned.

Masud Al-Ghamdi, a noted preacher, stressed that the branch of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs should shoulder responsibility of proper maintenance of mosques on highways in their respective regions.

“It is impossible for those who had financed construction of these mosques to shoulder responsibility of their proper maintenance. Sometimes, their places of residence may be in regions far away from these mosques,” he said. Al-Ghamdi also found fault with the careless people who fail to ensure proper maintenance of these public utilities. “There is no justification for this attitude. Some people are totally unaware of the fact that Islam is a religion giving high importance to upkeep of mosques and proper maintenance of public utilities,” he said stressing the need for carrying out awareness campaign among the public about this vital issue.

Muhammad Al-Ali, member of the Shariah College Academic Council, said road users, especially families, are experiencing difficulties due to the poor condition of mosques and their toilets on highways. “I heard earlier that a company had put forward a project for the proper maintenance of these mosques. I don’t know what happened to that proposal? This is an issue of serious concern,” he said.

On his part, Al-Ali also proposed some remedial measures. “Fines should be slapped on owners of gas stations if they fail to take care of the mosques and public toilets adjacent to their facilities. Other punitive measures can also be taken against violators of regulations to be issued by the authorities concerned in this respect. A nominal fee can also be levied from users of these utilities,” he said adding that all these should be done under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. “The Ministry of Transport can also play an important role in this regard,” he said.

Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hashim, chairman of the branch of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Al-Hassa, said that most of these mosques are attached to highway gas stations, rest houses and supermarkets that are making huge profits but doing nothing for the maintenance of these mosques.

“The Endowment Department under the Ministry of Islamic Affairs should constitute a committee to oversee proper maintenance of these mosques. The municipality should not renew licenses of petrol stations and rest houses that are failing to take care of these mosques,” he said adding that each member of the society should be aware of the significance of keeping mosques clean and tidy like their houses or more than that. “It is not practical that the Endowment Department can have a close watch on these mosques and toilets always. This should be the responsibility of those running the gas stations and rest houses,” he said.

Sheikh Tariq Al-Hawaas, member of the academic faculty at Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University of Riyadh, is of the view that proper maintenance of mosques on highways should be the joint responsibility of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and owners of gas stations.

“Owners of gas stations should entrust some of their workers with proper maintenance of these mosques, and the Ministry officials should play a supervisory and monitoring role in this respect,” he added.