Is the reward for praying in the courtyard adjacent to the Sa'i area equal to the reward for praying around the Ka'bah?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : Shaykh, is the reward for one who prays in the courtyard behind the Sa'i area the same as the reward for one who prays next to the Ka'bah? And is it permissible for one observing i'tikaf to wait in the courtyard behind the Sa'i area?
The Shaykh : Yes. As for praying in the courtyard, if the rows of worshippers are connected such that the mosque is filled until the rows extend into the courtyard, then it is hoped that they will be like those in the mosque in terms of reward. However, if the mosque is empty and has space, then praying in this courtyard is not like praying in al-Masjid al-Haram. Therefore, one who prays there does not receive the reward of a hundred thousand prayers, because it is separate from the mosque. There is a wide street between it and the mosque, as you know.
As for the issue of i'tikaf, if one goes out to it and sits there, his i'tikaf is invalid, because it is not part of the mosque. Rather, it is outside the mosque, enclosed by a special wall with its own doors. It is like a courtyard that is outside the mosque, so it is not considered part of it.
Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : Shaykh, is the reward for one who prays in the courtyard behind the Sa'i area the same as the reward for one who prays next to the Ka'bah? And is it permissible for one observing i'tikaf to wait in the courtyard behind the Sa'i area?
The Shaykh : Yes. As for praying in the courtyard, if the rows of worshippers are connected such that the mosque is filled until the rows extend into the courtyard, then it is hoped that they will be like those in the mosque in terms of reward. However, if the mosque is empty and has space, then praying in this courtyard is not like praying in al-Masjid al-Haram. Therefore, one who prays there does not receive the reward of a hundred thousand prayers, because it is separate from the mosque. There is a wide street between it and the mosque, as you know.
As for the issue of i'tikaf, if one goes out to it and sits there, his i'tikaf is invalid, because it is not part of the mosque. Rather, it is outside the mosque, enclosed by a special wall with its own doors. It is like a courtyard that is outside the mosque, so it is not considered part of it.