Reserving a Spot in the Masjid

Reserving a Spot in the Masjid

Is it permissible to observe i’tikaf in the Prophet’s Mosque in the first row and to reserve the spot when going to sleep in the back of the mosque, then come back to the spot in the first row? Is it permissible to sleep in the first row when it is not the time for prayer?

In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All the praise and thanks is due to Allāh. May blessings and Peace be upon His Messenger.

It is permissible for one who is in the mosque to put his prayer mat etc in his spot, and to sleep at the back of the mosque, and then comes back to his spot, even if it is in the first row, so long as the iqamah for prayer has not been called. If the iqamah for prayer has been called and he is not there, then he has no right to the spot and his prayer mat should be taken away. Similarly, if he goes out of the mosque for some reason, such as going to do wudu’ and then comes back, he has more right to the spot. But if the reason is no longer present, and he is careless and comes back late, then he has no right to it.

The evidence regarding this is the hadith from Abu Hurairah (radiallāhu`anhu), according to which the Messenger of Allah (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) said:

“Whoever gets up from his place then comes back to it has more right to it.”

[Narrated by Muslim (3179)]

Ibn Qudamah said:

If he sits in a place, then he leaves it because he wants to do something or he needs to do wudu’, he may leave… If he gets up and leaves his spot then comes back, he has more right to it, because as narrated the (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: “Whoever gets up from his place then comes back to it, has more right to it.” [Narrated by Muslim (3179)]

[Al-Mughni (2/101)]

The one who comes back shortly after leaving for a reason such as wudu’ has more right to the place where he was before than anyone else. If someone else has sat there, he has the right to make him get up… In al-Wajeez this was limited to cases where he comes back straightaway and is not distracted by anything else.

[Matalib ūli al-Nuha fi Sharh Ghayat al-Muntaha (1/786)]

Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (rahimullah) said:

“The correct view concerning this matter is that it is not permissible to reserve a spot and leave the mosque, and his prayer mat may be removed, because the basic principle is that whatever he puts down none has the right to remove it. But if negative consequences may arise as a result of picking it up, such as enmity or hatred and so on, then it should not be picked up, because warding off negative consequences takes precedence over bringing benefits. If Allah knows from your intention that were it not for this prayer mat you would be in his place, then Allah will give you the reward of those who sit in the front rows, because you only left this place in the front row for a reason.

The phrase “so long as the time for prayer has not yet come” means that if the time for prayer has come and the iqamah has been made, then we may pick up the prayer mat, because in this case it has no sanctity or protection, and because if we leave it, there will be a gap in the row, and that is contrary to the Sunnah.

An exception is made to the correct view that it is haram to put down the prayer mat. If a man is in the mosque and he puts his prayer mat down in the first row, or anything else to indicate that he is reserving this spot, then he goes to the back of the mosque to sleep, or to read Qur’an or another book, then in this case he is entitled to do that, because he is still in the mosque. But if the rows started to fill, then he has to go back to his spot, so that he will not be stepping over people’s necks.

Another exception is that:

Whoever gets up from his spot for some valid reason, then comes back to it soon afterwards, he has more right to it. If a person has reserved a spot and he goes out of the mosque for a valid reason, then he comes back, he has more right to it. A valid reason is something like needing to do wudu’, or if anything happens to him that makes him go out. If he goes out, when he comes back he has more right to it.

He should come back quickly. The apparent meaning is that if he takes a long time to come back, he does not have more right to it, and anyone else may sit there.

Some of the scholars said that he does have the right to it, even if he comes back after a long time, so long as the excuse was still in effect. This view is more correct, because the continuation of the excuse is like the beginning of it. If it is permissible for him to leave the mosque and to leave the prayer mat there when the excuse first appears, then if the excuse continues it is still permissible. But it is well known that if the iqamah for prayer is given and he is still absent, then his prayer mat should be picked up.

It says in al-Rawd: ‘The majority did not limit it to coming back soon, i.e., the majority of the companions of Imām Ahmad did not limit it to coming back soon, as is the apparent meaning of the hadīth.’

But what we have mentioned is the middle view, i.e., that if he comes back after a long time because of the excuse, then he has more right to it, but if the excuse ceased, but he was careless and took a long time, then he no longer has more right to it.”

[Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 5/135]

There is nothing wrong with a person who is observing i’tikaf to have a sleep in the first row in between the prayers, so long as that does not cause any annoyance or hardship to anyone else, in which case it is better to keep away from the front rows. It is preferable to avoid sleeping in the front rows out of consideration for other people, because they do not like this action.

And Allah knows best.

[Via Islam Q&A with minor modification]