What is the ruling on reserving a place in the mosque on Friday?
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The questioner : Noble Shaykh, reserving a place in the mosque on Friday?
The Shaykh : Reserving a place is permissible on the condition that the man remains in the mosque. However, if he reserves a spot in the first row and goes to the side of the mosque to read alone so that people do not disturb him, there is another condition: if he reaches his place in the second row, he must move forward to his reserved spot. If he delays, it would necessitate stepping over people’s necks, unless there is a door at the front of the mosque that allows him to exit and return via that door. In that case, there is no harm in waiting until he is at peace, then exiting the mosque and going to his place.
The Shaykh : Reserving a place is permissible on the condition that the man remains in the mosque. However, if he reserves a spot in the first row and goes to the side of the mosque to read alone so that people do not disturb him, there is another condition: if he reaches his place in the second row, he must move forward to his reserved spot. If he delays, it would necessitate stepping over people’s necks, unless there is a door at the front of the mosque that allows him to exit and return via that door. In that case, there is no harm in waiting until he is at peace, then exiting the mosque and going to his place.