Is it permissible to reserve places for others in the Haram?

Question:
May Allah reward you. Many people say that they reserve places in al-Masjid al-Haram for others who arrive later. What is the ruling of the Shari'ah on this? We seek clarification with detail. May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
Reserving places in al-Masjid al-Haram or any other mosque is not permissible except for someone who is in the mosque, for someone who is sitting in the mosque but has a need that arises and he goes out, either for wudu' or to relieve himself of a necessary need, and then he returns. There is nothing wrong with reserving a place for him, because he is considered to be sitting in the mosque, but he went out due to an intervening need and returns shortly. As for the one who reserves a place but does not arrive until late, he has no right to do that. It is forbidden for him to reserve places in the mosque while he sits in his house, or in the street, and he keeps the place from the Muslims. Yes.