Reserving Places in The Mosque

[Safdar.Khan]

RESERVING PLACES IN THE MOSQUE. (Translated by Dawud Burbank)

Shaikh `Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Naasir as-Sa`dee -rahimahullaah(d.1376 H)was asked: What is the ruling on reserving places (at-tahjeer) in the mosque?

Answer: You should know -may Allaah have mercy upon you- that reserving places in the mosque, and placing a stick; when the person is delayed in his house, or in the market place, from attending, is not lawful, and is not permissible. That is because this is contrary to the Legislation; and contrary to what the Companions, and those who followed them upon goodness, were upon. So the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه و سلم) encouraged the people to come to the front in the mosques, and to draw close to the imaam themselves; and he gave encouragement with regard to the first row, and said: << If the people knew what there is in the call, and in the first row>>, meaning with regard to tremendous reward, << and then they did not find any way to it except to draw lots, then they would indeed draw lots.>>

And compliance with this, and this tremendous reward, will not come about except for one who himself comes to the front and precedes. As for one who puts his stick or the like down, and comes later on, then he has acted contrary to what the bringer of the Legislation encouraged, and he is not complying with his command. So whoever claims that he attains the virtue of coming to the front, and the virtue of the place of excellence, by reserving a place in it, when he actually comes later, then he is a liar. Rather the person who does this misses out on the reward, and he acquires sin and accountability.

So from the evil effects of that, is that he believes that by reserving a place of virtue at the start of the row, or in the place of virtue, that he can attain the virtue of being at the front. This is a false and futile belief, because the virtue cannot be attained except by one who himself arrives and precedes. As for one who reserves a place of virtue, but comes later on, then he does not attain anything of the virtue; for the virtue is for the one who comes first, not for the one whose stick arrives first.

So if there were any good in that action, then the people who would have been most eager upon it would have been the Companions -radiyallaahu `anhum. However, Allaah kept them free of this vile action, just as He kept them free of every vile action. So if the person who reserves a space knew that he is sinful, and that his praying at the back of the mosque would be better for him, and safer for him, than the sin, then he would not venture to do it. Rather he would keep far away from it; and how could he attain reward through performing an action that is forbidden, and not permissible?!

Also from the evil effects of that is that the mosques are for Allaah, and the people are on an equal footing within them. No one has a right in them except for the one who comes forward himself. So if someone else precedes, then he has more right. So if a person reserves for himself something which someone else has a right to, then he will be sinful and disobedient to Allaah, and he will be wronging the person whose right it is; and the right will not just be for a single person, rather everyone who arrives before him will have a right to his place. He will therefore have wronged a large number of people. So if we imagine a person coming, and the first row has been reserved by people wrongfully, so therefore he takes his place in a row further back, then he will have greater excellence than them, and greater reward, and will be more secure from sin. So Allaah knows from his intention that if he had found it empty he would have prayed in it. So he is the one who attains its virtue; whereas they attain sin, and they miss out on the reward.

And from the evils of that is that it invites stepping over people, and causing harm to them, and the bringer of the Legislation has forbidden that. So he combines reserving something for himself, coming late, and stepping over the people. Therefore he is doing what is forbidden from a number of aspects.

And from them is that if he places his stick, it causes him to become lazy, and to delay in coming. So when he knows that he will find a place at the front of the mosque, even if he comes late, then his heart cools, and he becomes lax about coming forward (early). He therefore misses out on a great amount of good, and he acquires a large amount of sin. And from the evils is that it provokes rancour, enmity, and disputation in the houses of Allaah, which were not built except for the remembrance of Allaah, and for His worship.

And from the evils is that the Prayer of the person who reserves a place is deficient, because sins, if they do not nullify deeds, then they render them deficient; and there are from the scholars those who hold that the Prayer of the person who wrongfully reserves a place is not correct; just the same as a person who prays in a place which he has seized illegally: his Prayer is not correct because he illegally took the place, and wronged someone else.

And from the evils of that is that the person who habitually reserves a place is one who is persisting upon disobedience to Allaah, because he is committing it, resolved to keep on doing it; and persisting upon sins runs contrary to Eemaan. He -the Most High- said:

[[Meaning: And they do not persist upon sin which they have commited whilst they know, (but rather they repent.)]][Soorah Aali `Imraan (3):135]

And lesser sins become major sins through persistence upon them. So the amazing thing is that most of those who do that are people who have a desire for good; and perhaps the repugnance of this matter has departed from them on account of their persistance upon it, and the fact that some of them follow others.

So desire for good cannot be realized through seeking closeness to Allaah by doing something forbidden. Rather the person who desires good should be the farthest of the people away from acts of disobedience to Allaah; and from wronging the people with regard to their rights. So nothing draws a person closer to Allaah except obedience to Him. So worse than this is that the person reserves something for himself, or for someone else, and (in doing so) combines a number of sins.

So how can a Believer, who is rightly guided, who has life in his heart, be pleased to commit a matter which has these evils and harmful effects?! So what is obligatory upon everyone who does that is that he should repent to Allaah, and resolve that he will not return to it; since a person who knows that this is not permissible, but then persists upon this sin, is one who is taking Allaahýs prohibitions lightly; bold upon acts of disobedience to Allaah. It is to be feared that he is from those who love to be praised for what they have not done: for show and repute; he loves to be praised for his praying in the first row, and for the place of virtue; whereas he is actually a sinner who is wronging the people of the mosque, and he does not attain the virtue. Yet he persists upon this blameworthy and despicable characteristic.

So we believe that the Believer, who is earnest about his Religion, when he knows that this is forbidden, and he knows the evils and harms contained in it, and how it reduces his Prayer or nullifies it, he will not undertake it and he will not do it; because there is no benefit for him in that, neither in his Religion nor in his worldly life. Rather it is entirely harmful for him. So the person who is granted success should seek the aid of Allaah upon abandoning it, and upon being resolved not to return to it; and he should seek Allaahýs forgiveness from what has emanated from him, because Allaah forgives extensively and is Merciful. He -the Most High- said:

[[Meaning: And I am indeed forgiving to those who repent, truly believe and worship Allaah alone, perform righteous deeds, and remain constant upon right guidance.]][Soorah TaaHaa (20):82]

And we ask Allaah to preserve us and our brothers the Muslims from acts of disobedience to Him, and that He pardons us and them what has occurred from us previously from them. Indeed He is Beneficent, Generous. As for a person who comes to the mosque, and his intention is to wait for the Prayer; but then something occurs: for example he needs to perform wudoo, or the like, and then he returns, then there is no harm for him; and he has more right to his place, and no blame is attached to him. Likewise a person who is in the mosque, and he places his stick or the like, so that he can pray or recite Quraan in another place in the mosque. Then there is no harm; with the condition that he does not step over people, and does not harm them.And Allaah knows best, and may Allaah extol Muhammad, and grant him peace and security.
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[Ref.: al-Fataawas-Sa`diyyah, pp.182-186: Maktabatul-Ma`aarif, 2nd edn., 1402 H].