[Qeiafib]

I can't really see the problem with this.

£7 Million is too much???

how much does an average house cost these days in London? Extrapolate that upto a building that needs to hold thousands, plus other facilities to comply with planning laws, Think of the cost of buying the land, i'm thinking the mosque in question must only be a small-medium size. But either way it's money well spent.

Only Allah and his prophet(pbuh) know better

Yeah...I just followed the link in OPs facebook thread to a gallery and description of the masjid. From the looks of it, it's a large building and apparently contains the following facilities:

Prayer halls
Mortuary
Library
Car park
Multi-functional halls (for educational and social purposes)
Commercial kitchen facilities
Retail units
IT suites
Health clinic; and
Facilities for the elderly and disabled http://www.harrowmosque.org.uk/building.html

I know a little something about contracting work. Trust me, 7 million is not an unreasonable cost for these kinds of amenities which are important for the community. The major portion of that sum is not being spent on the crescent or the minaret. It's going to the cost of building permits, the architect's fees, concrete, wood, bricks, mortar, sheetrock, plumbing, boilers/furnaces, hot water heaters, electrical work, insulation, windows, ventilation system, not to mention the cost of labor and operating costs for machinery. Then there is of course the cost of whatever you put in there, like appliances, etc.

From the pictures, I don't see any "israf". I doubt the little crescent on top is made of gold; it's probably brass or some alloy. I don't really see any excessive ornamentation in the photos. Marble flooring is not wasteful, especially in a high-traffic area. And anyway, I can't tell for sure from the photos, but it looks more like granite than marble. In any case, stone is much more practical than other materials...it's longer lasting, more durable, easier to clean. Most of the floors look like they are carpeted anyway. Would you rather they put down some cheap vinyl, so that it has to be replaced every two years?

From the looks of it, the people in charge of this important project know what they are doing,

Like I said, I really don't see any excessive decoration. Some decoration is not uncalled for. If you are really opposed to any and all decoration, then you need to ask yourself, do you personally spend your income on only the bare necessities of life and give the rest in charity?