Ruling on Reserving Spaces in the Mosque
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Question:
We mention two things that happen in this mosque, especially on Friday: a space behind the imam is reserved for a number of people, and if someone comes to sit in it, they are prevented, and it is said: "This is the Shaykh's place." Then someone comes and sits in it after a while. Also, when a funeral is brought, those who bring it are before the first row, a small row to the left of the imam, but not a complete one. I hope for your guidance on this, and whether we may sit in the empty space, even if some of them are angry?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family, and his Companions, and whoever follows his guidance. As for what follows:
The mosque is the House of Allah, prepared for His worship and obedience, such as prayer and others. Therefore, it is not permissible for anyone to reserve the space behind the imam, nor to his right, nor to his left. It belongs to whoever arrived first. The first row belongs to whoever arrived first. For this reason, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Muwatta Malik 3:3 meaning, let them draw lots to compete for it, and strive to move forward.
Therefore, reserving it is a matter that is not permissible, and it is usurping the space. There is no right for the one who usurps it. The one who arrived first is more entitled to it, and has more right to remain in it, and to move forward to it. It is obligatory to point this out to these people, and to make them know that this is not permissible, and that reserving the first row, or the middle of the first row, for those who come later is not permissible.
It is obligatory that these things be removed, and not left in their place. Rather, the row belongs to whoever arrived first. We used to know this from long ago. The people of authority and decision, and those who enjoin good and forbid evil, used to observe this, and remove what people placed in the first row, so that people would move forward with their own bodies, not with shoes, nor with anything other than shoes, nor with prayer mats. But they would move forward with their own bodies to the first row. So it belongs to whoever arrived with his own body, not to whoever arrived with a prayer mat, or slippers, or something else. No, this is the truth, this is the correct way. The one who arrived first is more entitled to the place.
Yes, if a person moved forward in the first row, and then something unexpected happened to him, and he stood up to perform ablution, he has more right to his place, even if he did not put anything in it. He has more right to his place to return to it if something unexpected happened to him, and he stood up to perform ablution, or for other unexpected matters that occur, and he came to the mosque for the iqamah, to sit and wait. This should be known, and his neighbors should know it, and they should say to the one who came to this place: "It has an owner. He stood up for an unexpected matter, and he has more right to it." As for a person who moves forward with a prayer mat or something else, and remains in his house, or remains in his shop, this is a mistake. This is not permissible.
And the people of the funeral, if they have a place in the first row, they enter the first row, or the second. And if they do not have a place, they line up behind the imam, not with him. The imam is not with anyone. They are behind him, even if it is a short row. They are behind the imam. And there is leniency in the rows for funerals. For this reason, some of the Companions said: There is no harm in the rows being three, even if they are not complete.
So the point is: if it is possible for them to be in a row, they should enter the row; that is better and more excellent. Whether it is in the first row, or behind it in the second, or the third, if they find a place. If they line up behind the imam in a row, even if it is not large, there is no harm.
We mention two things that happen in this mosque, especially on Friday: a space behind the imam is reserved for a number of people, and if someone comes to sit in it, they are prevented, and it is said: "This is the Shaykh's place." Then someone comes and sits in it after a while. Also, when a funeral is brought, those who bring it are before the first row, a small row to the left of the imam, but not a complete one. I hope for your guidance on this, and whether we may sit in the empty space, even if some of them are angry?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family, and his Companions, and whoever follows his guidance. As for what follows:
The mosque is the House of Allah, prepared for His worship and obedience, such as prayer and others. Therefore, it is not permissible for anyone to reserve the space behind the imam, nor to his right, nor to his left. It belongs to whoever arrived first. The first row belongs to whoever arrived first. For this reason, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
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 يجدوا إلا أن يستهموا عليه؛ لاستهمواTherefore, reserving it is a matter that is not permissible, and it is usurping the space. There is no right for the one who usurps it. The one who arrived first is more entitled to it, and has more right to remain in it, and to move forward to it. It is obligatory to point this out to these people, and to make them know that this is not permissible, and that reserving the first row, or the middle of the first row, for those who come later is not permissible.
It is obligatory that these things be removed, and not left in their place. Rather, the row belongs to whoever arrived first. We used to know this from long ago. The people of authority and decision, and those who enjoin good and forbid evil, used to observe this, and remove what people placed in the first row, so that people would move forward with their own bodies, not with shoes, nor with anything other than shoes, nor with prayer mats. But they would move forward with their own bodies to the first row. So it belongs to whoever arrived with his own body, not to whoever arrived with a prayer mat, or slippers, or something else. No, this is the truth, this is the correct way. The one who arrived first is more entitled to the place.
Yes, if a person moved forward in the first row, and then something unexpected happened to him, and he stood up to perform ablution, he has more right to his place, even if he did not put anything in it. He has more right to his place to return to it if something unexpected happened to him, and he stood up to perform ablution, or for other unexpected matters that occur, and he came to the mosque for the iqamah, to sit and wait. This should be known, and his neighbors should know it, and they should say to the one who came to this place: "It has an owner. He stood up for an unexpected matter, and he has more right to it." As for a person who moves forward with a prayer mat or something else, and remains in his house, or remains in his shop, this is a mistake. This is not permissible.
And the people of the funeral, if they have a place in the first row, they enter the first row, or the second. And if they do not have a place, they line up behind the imam, not with him. The imam is not with anyone. They are behind him, even if it is a short row. They are behind the imam. And there is leniency in the rows for funerals. For this reason, some of the Companions said: There is no harm in the rows being three, even if they are not complete.
So the point is: if it is possible for them to be in a row, they should enter the row; that is better and more excellent. Whether it is in the first row, or behind it in the second, or the third, if they find a place. If they line up behind the imam in a row, even if it is not large, there is no harm.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.