Narrated Abdullah al-Muharibi: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: When a man stands with the intention of saying prayer, or if any of you says prayer, he should not spit before him, nor at his right side; but he should do so at his left side, if there is a place for it; or he should spit under his left foot and then rub it off.
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:
➊
Spitting in front during prayer is contrary to proper etiquette.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) expressed strong displeasure regarding this.
See: (Sunan Ibn Majah, Al-Masajid wal-Jama'at, Chapter: Dislike of Spitting in the Mosque, Hadith: 761 to 764)
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The right side is also a direction of respect, so one should not spit in that direction either.
If another worshipper is standing on the left side, then one should also avoid spitting in that direction; if there is no one there, then spitting is permissible.
➌
In the mosque, spitting to the left or under one’s foot is permissible in the case where the ground of the mosque is of such a type that it can absorb moisture; otherwise, it is not permissible to pollute the mosque.
Especially when one is praying on a mat or carpet, it is not permissible under any circumstance to make it dirty.
In such a case, a handkerchief should be used, as is clarified in the following hadith.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 1021