Excerpt from Shaykh Muhammad Munir Qamar’s book Aḥkām al-Masājid
In many mosques, some regular attendees reserve a specific spot for themselves – behind the Imam, beside the minbar, in a certain corner, or along a particular wall. They dislike praying anywhere else. If someone unknowingly sits in that spot, they force him to leave. If refused, they mutter lā ḥawla wa-lā quwwata illā billāh, frown, and move away angrily, letting others know they are displeased.
Some ignorantly say: “I have been sitting here for years; why are you sitting here?” They even raise their voice and compel others to vacate. This attachment to a place often arises from ignorance or ostentation, so that people recognize them as “the one always in the first row” or “the one who always sits in that corner.”
Imam al-Ghazālī رحمه الله in Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn and Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله in Ighāthat al-Lahfān criticized such behavior. Imam al-Ghazālī, in Bāb al-Maghrūrīn, described such individuals as deceived by their nafs and Satan.
The Prophet ﷺ forbade reserving a place in the mosque:
((نهى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم … وأن يوطن رجل فى المسجد مكانا كما يوطن البعير))
“The Prophet ﷺ forbade pecking like a crow (in prayer) and forbade a man from taking a fixed spot in the mosque like a camel that takes a place in its pen.”
(Abū Dāwūd, Nasāʾī, Ibn Mājah, Musnad Aḥmad, al-Ḥākim)
Thus, the Sunnah is:
➊ Enter the mosque.
➋ Pray two rakʿahs where space is available.
➌ Do not search for “your” spot.
➍ Do not step over people or pass in front of them.
➤ Climbing over people’s necks:
The Prophet ﷺ rebuked a man on Friday for stepping over others:
((اجلس فقد آذيت وآنيت))
“Sit down; you have harmed others and you came late.”
(Abū Dāwūd, Nasāʾī, al-Ḥākim)
➤ Passing in front of a praying person:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
((لو يعلم المار بين يدي المصلي ماذا عليه لكان أن يقف أربعين خيراً له من أن يمر بين يديه))
“If the one passing in front of a praying person knew the sin he incurs, he would rather stand still for forty (years) than pass in front of him.”
(Bukhārī, Muslim, Sunan Arbaʿah, Muwaṭṭaʾ Mālik)
Reserving a place is only valid when:
✔ A specific location has proven Sharʿi virtue (e.g., Rawḍah in Masjid al-Nabawi ﷺ).
✔ For valid needs like imāmah, teaching, giving fatwa, or seeking knowledge.
Imam al-Nawawī رحمه الله stated that in such cases, reserving a spot is permissible and not disliked.
✿ Reserving a place in the mosque without Sharʿi reason is prohibited and akin to the behavior of a camel in its pen.
✿ One should sit wherever space is found, without disturbing others.
✿ Only exceptional places with proven Sharʿi virtue, or needs like teaching and imāmah, may be specified.
✿ The sanctity of mosques demands avoidance of such cultural innovations, especially common in the Subcontinent but absent in Arab lands.
❖ Common Practice
In many mosques, some regular attendees reserve a specific spot for themselves – behind the Imam, beside the minbar, in a certain corner, or along a particular wall. They dislike praying anywhere else. If someone unknowingly sits in that spot, they force him to leave. If refused, they mutter lā ḥawla wa-lā quwwata illā billāh, frown, and move away angrily, letting others know they are displeased.
Some ignorantly say: “I have been sitting here for years; why are you sitting here?” They even raise their voice and compel others to vacate. This attachment to a place often arises from ignorance or ostentation, so that people recognize them as “the one always in the first row” or “the one who always sits in that corner.”
Imam al-Ghazālī رحمه الله in Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn and Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله in Ighāthat al-Lahfān criticized such behavior. Imam al-Ghazālī, in Bāb al-Maghrūrīn, described such individuals as deceived by their nafs and Satan.
❖ Prophetic Prohibition
The Prophet ﷺ forbade reserving a place in the mosque:
((نهى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم … وأن يوطن رجل فى المسجد مكانا كما يوطن البعير))
“The Prophet ﷺ forbade pecking like a crow (in prayer) and forbade a man from taking a fixed spot in the mosque like a camel that takes a place in its pen.”
(Abū Dāwūd, Nasāʾī, Ibn Mājah, Musnad Aḥmad, al-Ḥākim)
Thus, the Sunnah is:
➊ Enter the mosque.
➋ Pray two rakʿahs where space is available.
➌ Do not search for “your” spot.
➍ Do not step over people or pass in front of them.
❖ Related Warnings
➤ Climbing over people’s necks:
The Prophet ﷺ rebuked a man on Friday for stepping over others:
((اجلس فقد آذيت وآنيت))
“Sit down; you have harmed others and you came late.”
(Abū Dāwūd, Nasāʾī, al-Ḥākim)
➤ Passing in front of a praying person:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
((لو يعلم المار بين يدي المصلي ماذا عليه لكان أن يقف أربعين خيراً له من أن يمر بين يديه))
“If the one passing in front of a praying person knew the sin he incurs, he would rather stand still for forty (years) than pass in front of him.”
(Bukhārī, Muslim, Sunan Arbaʿah, Muwaṭṭaʾ Mālik)
❖ Exceptions
Reserving a place is only valid when:
✔ A specific location has proven Sharʿi virtue (e.g., Rawḍah in Masjid al-Nabawi ﷺ).
✔ For valid needs like imāmah, teaching, giving fatwa, or seeking knowledge.
Imam al-Nawawī رحمه الله stated that in such cases, reserving a spot is permissible and not disliked.
Conclusion
✿ Reserving a place in the mosque without Sharʿi reason is prohibited and akin to the behavior of a camel in its pen.
✿ One should sit wherever space is found, without disturbing others.
✿ Only exceptional places with proven Sharʿi virtue, or needs like teaching and imāmah, may be specified.
✿ The sanctity of mosques demands avoidance of such cultural innovations, especially common in the Subcontinent but absent in Arab lands.
