What is the ruling on praying between the pillars, given that if we move back from the pillars, there is a long distance between the rows?
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The questioner : It is originally, in our case, a mosque with many pillars, yes, pillars.
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : Yes, and if we pray in the row that has no pillars, meaning we skipped the row because there were a few people missing, they objected to us by saying we were dividing the Muslims.
The Shaykh : Do not say that. I have given you an answer. Those who objected are the ignorant ones.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : What business is that of yours with them?
The questioner : But if we pray in the row...
The Shaykh : Stick to it, may Allah guide you, stick to the legal question, and do not pay attention to the objectors as long as they are ignorant. Know the legal ruling and proceed. So, this is what I understand from you.
The questioner : There is harm if we pray...
The Shaykh : Listen, may Allah guide you.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : What I understood from you is that if you move away from praying between the pillars, there is a long distance between this row and the row in front of you.
The questioner : Ah, so I pray in the third row, the third row has no pillars.
The Shaykh : My brother, I am not speaking about you, I am speaking about any Muslim.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Who wants to pray.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So, does he pray between the pillars so that he is close to the row in front of him?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Or does he move back from the row between the pillars?
The questioner : Yes, he moves back from the row.
The Shaykh : Okay, so what is your question then? Is that not your question?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, are you answering your own question, or do I need to answer you about the question?
The questioner : But I mean, we rely on the fact that if we leave the row between the pillars and pray in the third row, even though there is a shortage in the second row, if there are pillars.
The Shaykh : My brother, the row between the pillars is not considered a row.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, so erase it from your mind, and arrange the row according to the Shari'ah; that is the one that is not between the pillars, even if there is a long distance between this row that is not between the pillars and the row that is between the pillars. Form a separate row, do not form a row between the pillars unless the mosque is crowded, in a dire necessity, perhaps something like this has happened now.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So, these dire necessities permit the prohibited, but if the mosque is spacious, first, one must avoid praying between the pillars, and the imam, if he is following the Sunnah, should choose rows that are not broken up by the pillars. For example, there might be more space in the back of the mosque than in the front.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So they should move back to avoid breaking the second or third row. The important thing is that the row between the pillars is not permissible except for a dire necessity.
Other than that?
Another questioner : Peace be upon you, a question about creed.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : Yes, and if we pray in the row that has no pillars, meaning we skipped the row because there were a few people missing, they objected to us by saying we were dividing the Muslims.
The Shaykh : Do not say that. I have given you an answer. Those who objected are the ignorant ones.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : What business is that of yours with them?
The questioner : But if we pray in the row...
The Shaykh : Stick to it, may Allah guide you, stick to the legal question, and do not pay attention to the objectors as long as they are ignorant. Know the legal ruling and proceed. So, this is what I understand from you.
The questioner : There is harm if we pray...
The Shaykh : Listen, may Allah guide you.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : What I understood from you is that if you move away from praying between the pillars, there is a long distance between this row and the row in front of you.
The questioner : Ah, so I pray in the third row, the third row has no pillars.
The Shaykh : My brother, I am not speaking about you, I am speaking about any Muslim.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Who wants to pray.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So, does he pray between the pillars so that he is close to the row in front of him?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Or does he move back from the row between the pillars?
The questioner : Yes, he moves back from the row.
The Shaykh : Okay, so what is your question then? Is that not your question?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, are you answering your own question, or do I need to answer you about the question?
The questioner : But I mean, we rely on the fact that if we leave the row between the pillars and pray in the third row, even though there is a shortage in the second row, if there are pillars.
The Shaykh : My brother, the row between the pillars is not considered a row.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, so erase it from your mind, and arrange the row according to the Shari'ah; that is the one that is not between the pillars, even if there is a long distance between this row that is not between the pillars and the row that is between the pillars. Form a separate row, do not form a row between the pillars unless the mosque is crowded, in a dire necessity, perhaps something like this has happened now.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So, these dire necessities permit the prohibited, but if the mosque is spacious, first, one must avoid praying between the pillars, and the imam, if he is following the Sunnah, should choose rows that are not broken up by the pillars. For example, there might be more space in the back of the mosque than in the front.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So they should move back to avoid breaking the second or third row. The important thing is that the row between the pillars is not permissible except for a dire necessity.
Other than that?
Another questioner : Peace be upon you, a question about creed.
The Shaykh: Yes.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.