The ruling on placing curved stones inscribed with the word "sutrah" in the prayer area
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Honorable Shaykh, I entered one of the prayer areas in one of the cities and noticed some curved stones, with the word "sutrah" written on each one. What is the ruling on this practice?
Answer:
As for curved stones for the imam, meaning for the mihrab, if they are prepared for the imam's standing place and it is a mihrab, there is no harm. However, writing on them is disliked. Writing on the walls of mosques, on their mihrabs, or on their doors is disliked. Writing on mosques is disliked.
This is excessive strictness, meaning placing stones in the mosque so that whoever enters takes a stone. This is excessive strictness and may lead to a bad belief regarding these stones, because the common people may believe that there is tabarruk (seeking blessing) in these stones and that they contain good. This is not permissible. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not place stones in his mosque, nor did he order it. This is among the excessive strictness that may lead to evil and to a false belief regarding these stones. And how quickly people turn to false belief. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, I entered one of the prayer areas in one of the cities and noticed some curved stones, with the word "sutrah" written on each one. What is the ruling on this practice?
Answer:
As for curved stones for the imam, meaning for the mihrab, if they are prepared for the imam's standing place and it is a mihrab, there is no harm. However, writing on them is disliked. Writing on the walls of mosques, on their mihrabs, or on their doors is disliked. Writing on mosques is disliked.
This is excessive strictness, meaning placing stones in the mosque so that whoever enters takes a stone. This is excessive strictness and may lead to a bad belief regarding these stones, because the common people may believe that there is tabarruk (seeking blessing) in these stones and that they contain good. This is not permissible. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not place stones in his mosque, nor did he order it. This is among the excessive strictness that may lead to evil and to a false belief regarding these stones. And how quickly people turn to false belief. Yes.
Source
شرح بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام [ صالح الفوزان ]، باب سترة المصلي — islamhouse.com (55:55)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.