Ruling on Designating a Specific Place in the Mosque for Prayer
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Question:
Abdullah from Riyadh, your brother in Allah, says: I read a hadith, the meaning of which is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He forbade praying like the pecking of a crow, spreading out like the spread of a beast of prey, and a man making a specific place in the mosque his regular spot, just as a camel makes its place." The question, O honorable Shaykh, is: When I enter the mosque to perform prayer, I always sit in a specific, designated place at all times. Does this mentioned hadith apply to me and to this action of mine?
Answer:
Yes, it is better for you to stop where the row ends, and not to make a specific place for yourself. If you come and the first row is full, you line up in the second row. If the first row is not full, you line up in the first row. Do not stay at the end of the row; line up from where the row ends. If you are behind the imam, behind the imam, if there are four rows behind the imam, you are the fifth, connected to them. If there are six, you are the seventh, and so on, and so on. Do not peck your prayer; be calm. You must have tranquility and not rush in prayer. You must have tranquility. Do not spread your hands like a beast of prey. When you prostrate, raise your elbows and rely only on your palms, with the elbows raised. The wolf and similar beasts spread their arms, and the dog does so as well. The Sunnah for the believer is to raise his elbows, indeed, to rely only on his palms in prostration.
The presenter: May Allah preserve you, O honorable Shaykh. Regarding designating a place: if this man is one of the punctual ones who arrives early for prayer, meaning: should he use this place, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh: He sits behind the imam. If he arrives early, he sits behind the imam, and does not move to the end of the row while the row is still open. However, if he is unable, if he is sick and wants to lean on something, there is no harm. He can circle a pillar to lean on it. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah preserve you.
Abdullah from Riyadh, your brother in Allah, says: I read a hadith, the meaning of which is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He forbade praying like the pecking of a crow, spreading out like the spread of a beast of prey, and a man making a specific place in the mosque his regular spot, just as a camel makes its place." The question, O honorable Shaykh, is: When I enter the mosque to perform prayer, I always sit in a specific, designated place at all times. Does this mentioned hadith apply to me and to this action of mine?
Answer:
Yes, it is better for you to stop where the row ends, and not to make a specific place for yourself. If you come and the first row is full, you line up in the second row. If the first row is not full, you line up in the first row. Do not stay at the end of the row; line up from where the row ends. If you are behind the imam, behind the imam, if there are four rows behind the imam, you are the fifth, connected to them. If there are six, you are the seventh, and so on, and so on. Do not peck your prayer; be calm. You must have tranquility and not rush in prayer. You must have tranquility. Do not spread your hands like a beast of prey. When you prostrate, raise your elbows and rely only on your palms, with the elbows raised. The wolf and similar beasts spread their arms, and the dog does so as well. The Sunnah for the believer is to raise his elbows, indeed, to rely only on his palms in prostration.
The presenter: May Allah preserve you, O honorable Shaykh. Regarding designating a place: if this man is one of the punctual ones who arrives early for prayer, meaning: should he use this place, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh: He sits behind the imam. If he arrives early, he sits behind the imam, and does not move to the end of the row while the row is still open. However, if he is unable, if he is sick and wants to lean on something, there is no harm. He can circle a pillar to lean on it. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah preserve you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.