What is the ruling on reserving places in the mosques and sitting in the back?
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The questioner : Noble Shaykh, what is the ruling on reserving places in the mosques, where some people place something to reserve a spot, then sit in the back until the imam arrives, and then they move forward?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : People are reserving this place, yet they do not benefit from it except at the time of the iqamah. Given your knowledge of the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah on this matter, and the hadiths indicating that the Companions did not do this, since the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding the first row:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 225Sahih (Darussalam), and the hadith of Anas in *Sahih al-Bukhari* where he said: or something similar. Please give us a ruling, may you be rewarded, may Allah reward you with good?
The Shaykh : Reserving places in the mosques: some scholars consider it permissible absolutely, whether the person is in the mosque or not. This is the well-known view among the Hanbalis in the books of jurisprudence: that it is permissible for a person to reserve a place, and when he comes, he enters his place. However, the correct view is that this is forbidden, and that it is not permissible to reserve a place, because it prevents others from what is better, and because it leads to the person himself being lax in his attendance, for if he is assured that his place is in the first row, he becomes negligent and does not come until late. Also, it sometimes results in him harming the worshippers by stepping over their shoulders if the mosque does not have an entrance from the front. This is what we see in this issue.
As for if the person is in the mosque and places something to reserve a place while he is in the mosque, then there is nothing wrong with it, provided that it does not necessitate stepping over the shoulders of people.
Accordingly, if you reserve a place in the first row, and then the second row reaches your place and aligns with it, it is obligatory for you to move forward so that you do not step over the shoulders of people, unless the mosque has a door from the front facing the qiblah through which you can enter, in which case there is nothing wrong.
So the correct view in this issue is to distinguish: if the person is in the mosque, he owes nothing, because he has achieved the forward position. However, some people may notice that if they are far from the people, they are more devout in their prayer, or perhaps they are among those who recite loudly and do not like to remain in the first row so as not to disturb the people, or they like to have a study session for one of the lessons, which requires them to be away from the row. Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : People are reserving this place, yet they do not benefit from it except at the time of the iqamah. Given your knowledge of the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah on this matter, and the hadiths indicating that the Companions did not do this, since the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding the first row:
and they found no other way to get that except drawing lots, then they would draw lots.
حتى لو لم يجدوا إلا أن يستهموا عليه لاستهمواWe used to, when the prayer was finished, rush to the pillars.
كنا حتى إذا قضيت الصلاة تبادرنا إلى السواريThe Shaykh : Reserving places in the mosques: some scholars consider it permissible absolutely, whether the person is in the mosque or not. This is the well-known view among the Hanbalis in the books of jurisprudence: that it is permissible for a person to reserve a place, and when he comes, he enters his place. However, the correct view is that this is forbidden, and that it is not permissible to reserve a place, because it prevents others from what is better, and because it leads to the person himself being lax in his attendance, for if he is assured that his place is in the first row, he becomes negligent and does not come until late. Also, it sometimes results in him harming the worshippers by stepping over their shoulders if the mosque does not have an entrance from the front. This is what we see in this issue.
As for if the person is in the mosque and places something to reserve a place while he is in the mosque, then there is nothing wrong with it, provided that it does not necessitate stepping over the shoulders of people.
Accordingly, if you reserve a place in the first row, and then the second row reaches your place and aligns with it, it is obligatory for you to move forward so that you do not step over the shoulders of people, unless the mosque has a door from the front facing the qiblah through which you can enter, in which case there is nothing wrong.
So the correct view in this issue is to distinguish: if the person is in the mosque, he owes nothing, because he has achieved the forward position. However, some people may notice that if they are far from the people, they are more devout in their prayer, or perhaps they are among those who recite loudly and do not like to remain in the first row so as not to disturb the people, or they like to have a study session for one of the lessons, which requires them to be away from the row. Yes.