We see some of the brothers changing their places when they intend to pray the Sunnah prayer. What is the wisdom behind this? We ask for your guidance on this matter?
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The questioner : This listener is your brother in Allah, Muhammad Abu Zahra, an Egyptian working in Bisha. He asks in this question: We see some of the brothers changing their places during the Sunnah prayer. What is the wisdom behind this? We ask for your guidance on this matter?
The Shaykh : The wisdom behind changing one's place for the rawatib is that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that one prayer not be connected to another until a person goes out or speaks. You see that many people do not have the opportunity to go out because the rows behind them are packed tight, and there is no door in the front of the mosque for him to exit from. So he is forced to pray the rawatib in the place where he prayed the obligatory prayer. He sees that he should move to the place next to him to thereby achieve the distinction or separation between the obligatory prayer and his Sunnah.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is why the jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) said: "It is recommended to separate the obligatory prayer from its sunnah by speaking or moving from one's place", but this is not obligatory.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If it is easy, that is fine; otherwise, there is no harm in praying in the place where he prayed the obligatory prayer.
The questioner : Very well.
The Shaykh : And better than that, and more appropriate, is to pray the voluntary prayers in one’s home, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)Bulugh al-Maram 2:313 And because he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray the rawatib and the standing of the night prayer in his home (may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him). So his verbal and practical Sunnah indicates that performing the voluntary prayers in the home is better than performing them in the mosque. Yes, that is correct.
The Shaykh : The wisdom behind changing one's place for the rawatib is that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that one prayer not be connected to another until a person goes out or speaks. You see that many people do not have the opportunity to go out because the rows behind them are packed tight, and there is no door in the front of the mosque for him to exit from. So he is forced to pray the rawatib in the place where he prayed the obligatory prayer. He sees that he should move to the place next to him to thereby achieve the distinction or separation between the obligatory prayer and his Sunnah.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is why the jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) said: "It is recommended to separate the obligatory prayer from its sunnah by speaking or moving from one's place", but this is not obligatory.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If it is easy, that is fine; otherwise, there is no harm in praying in the place where he prayed the obligatory prayer.
The questioner : Very well.
The Shaykh : And better than that, and more appropriate, is to pray the voluntary prayers in one’s home, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)