What is your advice for an elderly Shaykh who arrives late to the prayer, pushes the worshippers, and disturbs them in order to reach the place where he is accustomed to praying?
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The questioner : He says: There is an old man in our mosque who comes during the prayer and moves the worshippers behind the imam until he finds a space for himself in the place where he is accustomed to praying and sitting. What is your advice for this man, because he often disturbs the worshippers in this way?
The Shaykh : The man is not in front of me now; how can I advise him?
The questioner : By the tape.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : He wants to reach the tape.
The Shaykh : I advise this man not to do this thing; he should not harm the Muslims by squeezing through the rows to reach his place. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):
Then we say to this man: If you want to preserve your place, move forward to it. Places do not belong to anyone; whoever arrives first has the right to the place. Furthermore, if he harms his Muslim brothers by stepping over necks and by crowding those standing with him in the row, he is closer to sin than to safety. Let him pray in the place where the people end, meaning he should stand in the row where the row ends, whether in the second, third, or fourth row. This is what is prescribed for him.
The Shaykh : The man is not in front of me now; how can I advise him?
The questioner : By the tape.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : He wants to reach the tape.
The Shaykh : I advise this man not to do this thing; he should not harm the Muslims by squeezing through the rows to reach his place. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):
That he saw a man stepping over necks, so he said to him: Sit down, for you have caused harm.
أنه رأى رجل يتخطى الرقابب فقال له : اجلس فقد آذيتThen we say to this man: If you want to preserve your place, move forward to it. Places do not belong to anyone; whoever arrives first has the right to the place. Furthermore, if he harms his Muslim brothers by stepping over necks and by crowding those standing with him in the row, he is closer to sin than to safety. Let him pray in the place where the people end, meaning he should stand in the row where the row ends, whether in the second, third, or fourth row. This is what is prescribed for him.