Reserving a place for oneself in the mosque
Continuing with the etiquette and rulings of the mosque, another point to mention is that some regular attendees of the mosque designate a specific place or corner for themselves in the mosque. For example, behind the Imam, on the arm of the pulpit, in a front or back corner, or on the right or left side. They do not like to pray or stand anywhere else except that particular spot. Even if someone else unknowingly sits in that designated place, they force that person to get up. And if someone else has already settled there and does not get up even after minor disputes, these individuals recite لا حول ولا قوة الا بالله and, muttering, turn away angrily towards another place in such a way that others realize something unpleasant has happened to them.
Some ignorant people openly tell the one who takes their place, “I have been sitting here for so many years, why are you sitting here?” and by creating a commotion, they force that person to leave. Only Allah knows what is in their hearts. However, what appears from their actions is that their attachment and love for that place is due to ignorance and showing off, so that people think this is the place of a particular person. That so-and-so is a first-row worshipper, or that so-and-so always prays in a particular corner of the mosque.
Imam Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him) has strongly criticized such hypocritical worshippers and ascetics in “Ihya Ulum al-Din,” and Allama Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) has done so in “Ighathat al-Lahfan.” Those who, along with this corner-sitting, abandon worldly business and excessively boast of piety and asceticism, Imam Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him) has described them as “The Deceived” (Bab al-Maghrurin), close to the self and trapped by Satan’s deception. Details can be found in the chapter “Bab al-Maghrurin” in “Ihya Ulum al-Din.”
Similarly, Allama Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) has counted such corner-sitting as falling into Satan’s trap in
. Also see
.
The details of these matters can be seen in these two books. These books and Imam Ibn al-Jawzi’s (may Allah have mercy on him) discussions on the deception of Satan are very instructive. These books have also been translated into Urdu. Therefore, studying these books on this topic is beneficial. Whether someone abandons the world and becomes a recluse in the mosque or merely comes at prayer times and reserves a specific place, it is unlawful in every case. Because the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade reserving a place in the mosque and likened it to the habit of a camel. This is a well-known hadith found in Sunan Abu Dawood, Nasai, Ibn Majah, Musnad Ahmad, and Mustadrak Hakim, in which Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Shibl (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
نهى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم عن نقرة الغراب وأن يوطن رجل فى المسجد مكانا كما يوطن البعير
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade performing prostrations like a crow pecking and forbade anyone from reserving a place for themselves in the mosque, just as a camel reserves a place in the pen.
In light of this hadith, the correct practice is that whoever enters the mosque should pray two rak’ahs wherever there is space and then sit down. They should not push people aside in search of their preferred spot, which is another forbidden act, nor should they pass in front of worshippers, which is a third sin, as indicated by well-known hadiths. For example, in Abu Dawood, Nasai, Ibn Hibban, Mustadrak Hakim, and Bayhaqi, it is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Basar (may Allah be pleased with him) that on Friday, a man was pushing others aside and passing in front of them, and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) angrily said to him:
اجلس فقد آذيت وآنيت
“Sit down, you have troubled others and have come late yourself.”
A similar hadith is narrated from Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) in Sunan Ibn Majah.
(And here it should also be noted that those who come first should complete the first row and not sit behind leaving space in front, because doing so disrupts the rows’ order and forces others to push past people’s shoulders to come forward.)
This was about pushing others aside, while the warning against passing in front of a worshipper is found in a hadith narrated from Hazrat Abu Juhaim (may Allah be pleased with him) in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, Sunan al-Arba’ah, and Muwatta Imam Malik, in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
لو يعلم المار بين يدي المصلي ماذا عليه، لكان أن يقف أربعين خيرا له من أن يمر بين يديه
“If the one who passes in front of a worshipper knew the sin of his action, he would stand for forty years but would not pass in front of him.”
Exceptional Cases:
And here it should also be kept in mind that if a particular place has a special virtue, then establishing prayer there is permanent. For example, the “Garden from the Gardens of Paradise” which is in the Prophet’s Mosque. It is correct and preferable to establish prayer in this noble garden or the Garden of Paradise. Because the virtue of this place is proven in the hadiths. The details of which can be seen in our book
.
However, the virtues of this place are narrated in Tirmidhi from Hazrat Ali and Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with them), and in Bukhari and Muslim, Tirmidhi and Musnad Ahmad, Muwatta Imam Malik, and As-Sunnah by Abi Asim from Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), and in Bukhari and Muslim, Nasai and Musnad Ahmad from Hazrat Abdullah bin Zaid Al-Mazini (may Allah be pleased with him), in which the Prophet’s statement is:
ما بين بيتي ومنبري روضة من رياض الجنة
“My house and my pulpit have a piece of land between them which is one of the gardens of Paradise.”
Similarly, in Sahih Muslim and other hadith books, it is narrated about Hazrat Salamah bin Akwa (may Allah be pleased with him) that he used to find a place near the pillar close to the Mushaf and pray there. When asked about the reason, he said:
رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَتَحَرَّى الصَّلاَةَ عِنْدَهَا
“I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) seeking out that place and praying there.”
Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote in his Sharh Muslim that if a place has a special virtue, then there is no harm in consistently praying there.
It is clear that the common mosques we are talking about do not have any such specific virtue. However, if one sits in a particular place for the purpose of leading prayer, teaching, preaching, issuing fatwas, or acquiring knowledge, then this is not impermissible but rather recommended. And regarding the designation of a specific place for such a need, there is consensus among the Salaf scholars on the absence of dislike. As Imam Nawawi has quoted from Qadi Iyad (may Allah have mercy on him).
These actions and behaviors, such as shouting and yelling in mosques, chanting slogans, designating certain parts of the mosque as exclusive, and showing one’s monopoly, which are prohibited, are not seen in the mosques of Arab countries. And if there are rare and exceptional places where such things occur, then firstly, النادر كالمعدوم the ruling on rare and exceptional matters is almost negligible. Secondly, the rare and exceptional places where such impermissible actions are seen or heard are those where only people from the Indian subcontinent pray. Among the local people, firstly, there is usually no one there. And if there are a few, they are almost negligible. Therefore, the educated and sensible people should pay attention that if these matters were permissible and customary, they would be everywhere here as well. And if they are not everywhere, then surely there is something wrong, so they should be avoided.
And since the mention of such matters found in the mosques of the Indian subcontinent countries has come up, let us also mention a couple of other things which, like the previous matters, are absolutely not found anywhere in the mosques here. We mention them only because the majority of our readers also belong to the Indian subcontinent.
