Muslim

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: This hadith shows that if a person comes and sits in a communal place before others, then making him get up from there would hurt his feelings and emotions; therefore, this is not permissible. However, if there is a public place about which it is known that a certain person usually sits there—for example, in a mosque, a scholar sits in a particular spot to teach, deliver sermons, or give fatwas, or someone regularly sets up his cart in a certain place—then others should not sit in that spot. If someone does so, he may be asked to vacate it. This is the correct position. Although, according to the Hanafi school, since such a place cannot be owned by anyone, whoever comes first will sit there. Generally, if the one who usually comes first does not arrive early on a particular day, he cannot make the earlier arrival vacate the spot. Clearly, this is contrary to good manners and courtesy, even though from a legal and principled perspective, there is room for it. However, it goes against custom and established practice.

Hadith Commentary:
Among the etiquettes of gatherings, this is the most important etiquette which is taught in this hadith. The verse of the chapter also contains this pure teaching.

The statement of Ibn Umar on the authority of Qatadah: "They used to compete with one another in the gathering of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam); when they saw him approaching, they would try to get ahead of each other and secure a place. So Allah, the Exalted, commanded them to make room for one another in the gathering." (Fath)

That is, when the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum) saw the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) coming, they would try to get ahead of each other and secure a place. Because of this, they were commanded to sit openly in the gathering.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The person who was already seated has a greater right to remain seated in his place. However, if the one who stood up does so willingly, then it is permissible for another to sit there, as mentioned in the hadith:
“It is not permissible to sit in someone’s place of honor except with his permission.”
(Sahih Muslim, al-Masajid, Hadith: 1534(673))

(2)
Even after receiving permission, piety and God-consciousness demand that one should not sit there, but rather allow the original person the opportunity to sit in that place. As narrated regarding Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma, if someone in a gathering stood up for him and asked him to sit there, he would not sit in that place.
(al-Adab al-Mufrad, Hadith: 1153)
Similarly, regarding Abu Bakrah radi Allahu anhu, it is narrated that once he came to give testimony and a man in the gathering stood up for him, but he refused to sit in that place and narrated the hadith that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam forbade doing so.
(Sunan Abi Dawud, al-Adab, Hadith: 4827)

Hadith Commentary:
It is astonishing regarding those people who, in pursuit of reward, rush to Allah’s mosques—even to the exalted Ka‘bah and the illuminated city of Madinah—and, by causing harm to others, seize their places. In fact, sometimes the matter escalates to quarrels and discord, after which they perform prayer there and please themselves, thinking that they are engaged in the worship of Allah.

They should know that they have not understood the true meaning of worship. Indeed, some worshippers are such that they have no knowledge of genuine worship. Allahumma irham ‘ala ummati habibika sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Here, Mawlana Waheed al-Zaman rahimahullah states that the mosque belongs to Allah; it is not the property of anyone’s forefathers. The worshipper who arrives first and sits at a place is the rightful owner of that spot. Even if a king or minister arrives, he does not have the right to remove him.

(Waheedi)

Hadith Commentary:
Among the etiquettes of Jumu‘ah is that a person should sit wherever he finds a place with utmost seriousness, and should not push or shove others.
There is no condition of the day of Jumu‘ah mentioned in the hadith, however, in a hadith of Sahih Muslim, this clarification is found. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“No person should make his brother get up from his place on the day of Jumu‘ah and then sit there himself; however, he may ask for space to be made.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Salam, Hadith: 5688 (2178))
If someone makes another get up from his place out of arrogance and pride, then this is extremely blameworthy, and if it is done due to personal preference, superiority, or to assert one’s own status and rank, then this too is extremely reprehensible and objectionable.
(Fath al-Bari: 2/505)
It should be noted that one should not make someone get up by saying so verbally, nor should one indicate for someone to get up due to one’s apparent dignity or status.
Both situations are prohibited.
Since mosques are the houses of Allah, all people have equal status in them. Therefore, whoever sits in a place first is more deserving of it. However, if someone, out of selflessness for a person of knowledge, gets up from his place and seats a scholar there, then doing so is not prohibited in the Shari‘ah.

Hadith Commentary:
In this hadith, the prohibition of making someone stand up from his place is mentioned.
If a person himself gets up and leaves with the intention of returning, even then it is not permissible for someone else to sit in that place, as the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Whoever gets up from his place and then returns, he is more entitled to that place." (Sunan Abi Dawud, Al-Adab, Hadith: 4853)
However, the one who leaves should leave some sign, such as a piece of cloth, at the place so that others know he intends to return. Otherwise, if someone else sits in his place, then there is no harm in it.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam forbade someone who arrives from making another person stand up and then sitting in his place. However, if the one who was sitting first willingly and gladly vacates his seat for an elderly person, someone of knowledge and virtue, or a personality superior to himself in any respect, then this is a commendable act and a cause for increased reward. But Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu, out of scrupulousness and caution, would refrain from sitting in such a place, thinking that perhaps the person did not stand up willingly and gladly, but rather stood up due to my awe or my dignity. Even though Imam Nawawi rahimahullah has also mentioned the reason that it is not preferable to leave the first row and move back for the sake of another, because giving preference to others in acts of worship is disliked, I personally do not see any reason for disliking this. Rather, this is etiquette and respect, which is desirable.

Benefits and Issues:
➊ This prohibition is also as a precaution so that people do not sit in each other's places. Otherwise, if a person respectfully offers his place to someone else, then according to other evidences, this is permissible.

➋ This narration is considered weak according to our esteemed researcher; however, in terms of meaning, it is correct, as he himself has stated in his research after citing the narrations of Bukhari and Muslim, "yughni ‘anhu," meaning the narrations of Bukhari and Muslim are sufficient. In addition, Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah has also graded it as hasan; for details, see: (al-Silsilah al-Sahihah, Hadith: 228).

Takhrij:
[بخاري : 6270],
[مسلم، السلام 5684],
[بلوغ المرام : 1239]
[تحفة الاشراف 220/6]

Vocabulary:
«تفسحوا» Open up among yourselves so that the one coming may sit.

«توسعوا» Join together with one another so that space may be made for the one coming. Ibn Abi Jamrah said [فتح]

«لا يقيم» This is a form of negation, but what is meant is prohibition, especially because in Sahih Muslim the wording is «لا يقيمن», meaning: "He must not be made to stand up at all."

Benefits:
The meaning is not that if someone comes and sits in a specific place belonging to someone else or in his property, then it is not permissible to make him stand up, because sitting there without permission is not permissible for him in the first place. What is meant are those places where it is permissible for every Muslim to sit, such as the mosque, gatherings of rulers, circles of scholars, a place in the market for trade, a place for craftsmanship, recreational spots, Mina, Muzdalifah, Arafat, etc. In such places, whoever comes and sits first, it is not permissible for anyone to make him stand up and sit there himself.

➋ Whoever makes another stand up and sits in his place does so either because he is giving preference to himself over the other, and this is not befitting for a Muslim.
«وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ» "They give preference to others over themselves, even though they are in need themselves." [59-الحشر:9]
Or he does so out of arrogance, and this is even worse, because Allah Ta'ala has commanded us to be humble.

➌ As a result of making someone stand up from his place and sitting there oneself, there is a danger of creating distance and hatred in the hearts. Whereas believers have been commanded to have mutual love and brotherhood.

➍ The wording "do not make him stand up" «لا يقيم» proves that if someone voluntarily stands up and offers his place, then it is permissible to sit there. However, Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma would avoid even this; if someone stood up for them, they would not sit there. [بخاري : 7470] But the scholars have interpreted their action as extra caution, as it is possible that the person did not stand up willingly but only out of shyness.

➎ The insane and the foolish are exceptions to this hadith. If they are disrupting a gathering of knowledge or violating the etiquette of the mosque, then it is permissible to remove them.
«وَلا تُؤْتُوا السُّفَهَاءَ أَمْوَالَكُمُ»
"And do not give your wealth to the foolish."
The status of a gathering of knowledge is much greater than that of wealth. If the foolish can be prevented from ruining wealth, then why should they not be prevented from ruining the wealth of knowledge?

➏ If someone comes to the mosque after eating something with a bad odor, or causes harm to someone, it is permissible to remove him from the mosque. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: Whoever has eaten these vegetables—garlic, onion, or leek—should not come near our mosque, for the angels are harmed by what harms the children of Adam. [مسلم عن جابر : مساجد 4]
Umar al-Faruq radi Allahu anhu said at the end of a Friday sermon: O people, you eat these two plants which I consider bad. I saw the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, if he sensed their odor from a man in the mosque, he would order that he be taken out towards Baqi'. [مسلم : مساجد : 78]
The odor of hookah and cigarettes is many times more offensive than that of onions and garlic.

Takhrij:
«أخرجه البخاري، الأستئذان، باب لا يقيم الرجل من مجلسه، حديث:6269، ومسلم، السلام، باب تحريم إقامة الإنسان من موضعه المباح الذي سبق إليه، حديث:2177.»©Explanation:
➊ In this hadith, the etiquette of gatherings is taught: if there is a shortage of space in a gathering and people continue to arrive, then those already seated should move closer together, draw nearer to one another, or slightly expand the circle of the gathering so that the newcomers may also find a place to sit. However, it should not happen that if a person leaves his seat for a short while due to some necessity, another person seizes his place.
➋ This ruling is the same for every place, whether it is in the mosque, in a gathering of friends, or at any other location.

Benefit:
From this hadith, it is understood that one should avoid every action that may hurt the feelings of a Muslim. When, out of three people, two converse privately, the third person may feel that he was not considered worthy enough to be included in the conversation. Furthermore, due to the whisperings of Shaytan, he may also think that perhaps these two are conspiring against him. One should refrain from such actions that may lead to suspicion or ill thoughts.