Which is better: for the ma'mum to sit in the first row on Friday, far from the khatib, or in the second row, close to the khatib?
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The questioner : His EminenceThe Shaykh : Which is better when a person enters on Friday: to sit in the first row far from the khatib, or to sit in the second row close to the khatib in order to pay attention to the khutbah and focus on the khatib?
The Shaykh : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Muwatta Malik 3:3 The call means: the adhan, and this is general, so we say: be in the first row. And if you like to get closer to the imam for the sake of the khutbah, many people now, as we see them, are in the first row, and then when the khatib comes, they stand up and go around the minbar and listen.
Moreover, nowadays, praise be to Allah, in most mosques the loudspeaker is in every direction so that the person hears it completely, so the important thing is that the sunnah is to complete the first row, then the first, in every case.
But there is another thing that should be pointed out: Is it better that I maintain the right side, the right of the row, even if I am far from the imam, or if the right side is far, do I become with the left side? The answer is: the second. Some people say: the right side is better in every case, even if it is at the end of the row, even if the left side is only one person away from the imam, and this is not correct.
The right side is better than the left side with equality or closeness, but if the right side is far, then the left side is better for its nearness to the imam, and in order to be in the middle of the imam in the row.
And I do not think the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), when they came and entered the mosque, completed the right side first, then came and started with the left side. I do not think this is the case. I think they wanted to get closer to the imam.
The Shaykh : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
If people knew what was in the adhan and the first row of the prayer and could only draw lots for it, they would draw lots.
لو يعلم الناس ما في النداء والصف الأول ثم لم يجدوا إلا أن يستهموا عليه لاستهمواMoreover, nowadays, praise be to Allah, in most mosques the loudspeaker is in every direction so that the person hears it completely, so the important thing is that the sunnah is to complete the first row, then the first, in every case.
But there is another thing that should be pointed out: Is it better that I maintain the right side, the right of the row, even if I am far from the imam, or if the right side is far, do I become with the left side? The answer is: the second. Some people say: the right side is better in every case, even if it is at the end of the row, even if the left side is only one person away from the imam, and this is not correct.
The right side is better than the left side with equality or closeness, but if the right side is far, then the left side is better for its nearness to the imam, and in order to be in the middle of the imam in the row.
And I do not think the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), when they came and entered the mosque, completed the right side first, then came and started with the left side. I do not think this is the case. I think they wanted to get closer to the imam.