A man who wants to pray the greeting of the mosque before the iqamah and did not find a sutrah in the first row: should he pray behind the sutrah even if it means missing the first row?

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The questioner : His EminenceThe Shaykh : A man entered the mosque before the iqamah of the prayer and wanted to pray the greeting of the mosque behind a sutrah, knowing that if he prays behind the sutrah, he will miss the first row. Should he pray behind the sutrah, or in the first row?

The Shaykh : If he will miss the first row, let him move forward to the first row, based on the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):

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 يقدروا إلا أن يستهموا عليه لاستهموا

Muwatta Malik 3:3

So let him move forward to the first row. The sutrah is light, meaning

Let him screen himself, even with a spear.

ليستتر ولو بسهم

a person can place his toothpick and it can serve as a sutrah.

Source alathar.net

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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