Is there a basis in the Sunnah for the practice seen in many mosques today of placing a special carpet for the imam's position?
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The questioner : ... placing a special spot for the imam, this carpet.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The questioner : Is this also a Sunnah? It has become such that people think any mosque must have a designated spot...
The Shaykh : No, it is not from the Sunnah.
The questioner : How? Why?
The Shaykh : It is not from the Sunnah, but they adopt it so that people can recognize that this is the imam's place. And this, if Allah wills, we will put an end to it, we will delay it, yes.
The questioner : ... Shaykh, and the mu'adhdhin (the one who calls to prayer) as well.
The Shaykh : Yes? And some people say that even the mu'adhdhin (the one who calls to prayer) places a carpet in his spot, but the mu'adhdhin (the one who calls to prayer) wants it for the sake of demarcation, to mark the boundary, yes, whereas the imam has no need for it. Yes?
The student: He precedes... O Shaykh, sometimes they place three carpets for the imam. I saw an imam who was given three carpets.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : It is based ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, yes, in any case.
The student: It identifies the center of the row... if the carpet is...
The Shaykh : If there is a mihrab (the prayer niche), it is identified; the mihrab (the prayer niche) indicates the center of the row.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : No, if Allah wills, we will delay it, if Allah wills, starting from tonight. I had intended to delay it, but I feared that people would say this is being strict, because people have taken it as a custom and come to see it as something almost obligatory. So I mean, after I was about to do it, I thought if I did this, they would say it is being strict, and then the entire reputation of the mosque and its students would be that they are strict. They even removed the mosque's carpet to avoid this harm, so I saw that leaving it is better. If you agree with me in this opinion, shall we leave it?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : The Grand Mosque... .
The Shaykh : No, no, yes, yes.
The questioner : It is taken.
Another questioner: We take it, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Fine, it is taken on the condition that we speak about it in the mosque in the khutbah (the sermon). As for simply taking it away, I see that it is not better, and it harms the reputation of all the students.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The student: Some imams, O Shaykh... on the basis that the carpet is used to align... .
The Shaykh : In any case, aligning the qiblah (the direction of prayer), yes. A person, if the imam is blind, this can align the qiblah (the direction of prayer) for him, and it becomes a necessity for its existence if he does not have a cane. If he has a cane, he places the cane and points it toward the qiblah (the direction of prayer) and is able to know the qiblah (the direction of prayer).
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : I say there is a concern in this... ?
The Shaykh : By Allah, there is no legal concern in it, because as long as... but the brothers say why is it adopted when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do it?
The questioner : Is this being strict?
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : ... on the basis of custom and people...
The Shaykh : Yes, praise be to Allah, you disputed, and the scholars say if there is disagreement on the matter, their statements all fall away.
The questioner : O Shaykh... in the prayer, the janazah (the funeral prayer).
The Shaykh : I see that protection from the tongues of the common people is that it remains; it is not harmful.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : It is not harmful. Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The questioner : Is this also a Sunnah? It has become such that people think any mosque must have a designated spot...
The Shaykh : No, it is not from the Sunnah.
The questioner : How? Why?
The Shaykh : It is not from the Sunnah, but they adopt it so that people can recognize that this is the imam's place. And this, if Allah wills, we will put an end to it, we will delay it, yes.
The questioner : ... Shaykh, and the mu'adhdhin (the one who calls to prayer) as well.
The Shaykh : Yes? And some people say that even the mu'adhdhin (the one who calls to prayer) places a carpet in his spot, but the mu'adhdhin (the one who calls to prayer) wants it for the sake of demarcation, to mark the boundary, yes, whereas the imam has no need for it. Yes?
The student: He precedes... O Shaykh, sometimes they place three carpets for the imam. I saw an imam who was given three carpets.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : It is based ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, yes, in any case.
The student: It identifies the center of the row... if the carpet is...
The Shaykh : If there is a mihrab (the prayer niche), it is identified; the mihrab (the prayer niche) indicates the center of the row.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : No, if Allah wills, we will delay it, if Allah wills, starting from tonight. I had intended to delay it, but I feared that people would say this is being strict, because people have taken it as a custom and come to see it as something almost obligatory. So I mean, after I was about to do it, I thought if I did this, they would say it is being strict, and then the entire reputation of the mosque and its students would be that they are strict. They even removed the mosque's carpet to avoid this harm, so I saw that leaving it is better. If you agree with me in this opinion, shall we leave it?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : The Grand Mosque... .
The Shaykh : No, no, yes, yes.
The questioner : It is taken.
Another questioner: We take it, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Fine, it is taken on the condition that we speak about it in the mosque in the khutbah (the sermon). As for simply taking it away, I see that it is not better, and it harms the reputation of all the students.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The student: Some imams, O Shaykh... on the basis that the carpet is used to align... .
The Shaykh : In any case, aligning the qiblah (the direction of prayer), yes. A person, if the imam is blind, this can align the qiblah (the direction of prayer) for him, and it becomes a necessity for its existence if he does not have a cane. If he has a cane, he places the cane and points it toward the qiblah (the direction of prayer) and is able to know the qiblah (the direction of prayer).
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : I say there is a concern in this... ?
The Shaykh : By Allah, there is no legal concern in it, because as long as... but the brothers say why is it adopted when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do it?
The questioner : Is this being strict?
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : ... on the basis of custom and people...
The Shaykh : Yes, praise be to Allah, you disputed, and the scholars say if there is disagreement on the matter, their statements all fall away.
The questioner : O Shaykh... in the prayer, the janazah (the funeral prayer).
The Shaykh : I see that protection from the tongues of the common people is that it remains; it is not harmful.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : It is not harmful. Yes.