What is the ruling on reserving seats in the lesson and leaving the front rows?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : In seven minutes, at the seventh minute, we will finish, Shaykh, or not? Add three minutes.
The Shaykh : Yes, if Allah wills, let us go.
The questioner : Well, Shaykh, may Allah keep you safe. There are many questions regarding reserving seats during the lesson and leaving the front rows to sit near the chair. What is your guidance on this matter, which many people disapprove of?
The Shaykh : This depends on whether preserving knowledge is more important or preserving the front row is more important. Knowledge is more important. But will the student of knowledge miss the knowledge if he sits far away, given that there is a loudspeaker? He might sleep; he says he might sleep. And if they are sleeping, and there is only a meter between you and them, then a fortiori they would sleep if they were far away.
The Shaykh : Yes, if Allah wills, let us go.
The questioner : Well, Shaykh, may Allah keep you safe. There are many questions regarding reserving seats during the lesson and leaving the front rows to sit near the chair. What is your guidance on this matter, which many people disapprove of?
The Shaykh : This depends on whether preserving knowledge is more important or preserving the front row is more important. Knowledge is more important. But will the student of knowledge miss the knowledge if he sits far away, given that there is a loudspeaker? He might sleep; he says he might sleep. And if they are sleeping, and there is only a meter between you and them, then a fortiori they would sleep if they were far away.
Source
دروس وفتاوى المسجد الحرام لعام 1412 هـ - 12 — binothaimeen.net (59:16)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.