What is your opinion on the custom of laying a special carpet for the imam that distinguishes it from the rest of the mosque’s carpets?
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The questioner : Shaykh, regarding the so-called mihrabs mentioned in these days, is there anything about the validity of prayer in them? If the imam is either forced to pray in these mihrabs, or does so by choice? That is one aspect. From another aspect, a branch of the question: It has become customary for the worshippers in the mosques in this country these days to lay a special carpet for the imam according to his size. Is this considered settling in a place (tawitin)? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : As for settling in a place (tawitin), it does not apply to this specific carpet. However, something else may apply if the imam does not need this carpet, which is distinction. The distinction of the imam from those behind him. In the Sunnah, it is not recommended for the imam to pray in a raised place that elevates him above those praying behind him. Of course, this raised place is not a specific height, whether it is five centimeters, ten, or twenty, and so on. Because I observe in this authentic Sunnah that the intention is: that the imam not be distinguished from those behind him. If that is the case, then from this perspective, we can say that it is disliked to assign the imam a specific prayer carpet, as they say in this era. However, if the imam is an old man like me, and there is a fear that he may be affected by the dampness of the ground, or something similar, then this falls outside this ruling. And we return to the prayer in the mihrab.
The student : Shaykh, if you would pay attention to the issue, of course this is related. Of course, the point you mentioned is that the imam should not be distinguished, and it is also a prohibition, as this is a matter of seeking distinction (atharah), and seeking distinction is prohibited. That is one thing. The second thing: Before the mosque was now laid with this single color, because we removed...
The Shaykh : the carpet.
The student : Yes, we removed it.
The Shaykh : What Allah willed.
The student : Yes, and we replaced it with carpets of a single color that do not differ.
The Shaykh : And this is also a good innovation (bid'ah hasanah).
The student: Yes.
The student : Like this color, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The student : Like this color, approximately.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is good.
The student : I used to, and this was noted about me, that I would place a carpet of a single color. Why? So that the imam would do good for himself and for those behind him, such that he is not able to do that for the entire mosque, but rather he takes this part of the mosque, not for the sake of settling in a place (tawitin), but for the sake of not having the imam be distracted from his prayer by something that distracts him.
The Shaykh : Good, good.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : That is, this is one of the reasons that takes the issue out of the scope of religious dislike (makruh).
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : As for settling in a place (tawitin), it does not apply to this specific carpet. However, something else may apply if the imam does not need this carpet, which is distinction. The distinction of the imam from those behind him. In the Sunnah, it is not recommended for the imam to pray in a raised place that elevates him above those praying behind him. Of course, this raised place is not a specific height, whether it is five centimeters, ten, or twenty, and so on. Because I observe in this authentic Sunnah that the intention is: that the imam not be distinguished from those behind him. If that is the case, then from this perspective, we can say that it is disliked to assign the imam a specific prayer carpet, as they say in this era. However, if the imam is an old man like me, and there is a fear that he may be affected by the dampness of the ground, or something similar, then this falls outside this ruling. And we return to the prayer in the mihrab.
The student : Shaykh, if you would pay attention to the issue, of course this is related. Of course, the point you mentioned is that the imam should not be distinguished, and it is also a prohibition, as this is a matter of seeking distinction (atharah), and seeking distinction is prohibited. That is one thing. The second thing: Before the mosque was now laid with this single color, because we removed...
The Shaykh : the carpet.
The student : Yes, we removed it.
The Shaykh : What Allah willed.
The student : Yes, and we replaced it with carpets of a single color that do not differ.
The Shaykh : And this is also a good innovation (bid'ah hasanah).
The student: Yes.
The student : Like this color, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The student : Like this color, approximately.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is good.
The student : I used to, and this was noted about me, that I would place a carpet of a single color. Why? So that the imam would do good for himself and for those behind him, such that he is not able to do that for the entire mosque, but rather he takes this part of the mosque, not for the sake of settling in a place (tawitin), but for the sake of not having the imam be distracted from his prayer by something that distracts him.
The Shaykh : Good, good.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : That is, this is one of the reasons that takes the issue out of the scope of religious dislike (makruh).
The student: Yes.
Source
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The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.