Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Sometimes in mosques, people leave their personal belongings etc to block a space well before the Jamat time and then return to it as the Iqamah is announced. Would this Hadith apply in those circumstances as well?

Hadrat Abu Hurairah (r.a.) reported: ‘The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "If someone leaves his seat (for any reason) and returns to it, he is better entitled to it.``

Related by Muslim.

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Answer:

Block seat in masjid

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The correct etiquette of occupying a prayer space in the Masaajids is on a first come first served basis.

If one arrives early in the Masjid, and say occupies a space in the first row, and for any reason this person needs to momentarily leave his space (like to answer the call of nature, or to return the Quran, or redo their ‘wudu’, or greet a friend, etc.), and the person leaves a personal belonging on his space to temporarily block it, there is absolutely no harm.

But if a person arrives early, simply blocks the desired place by leaving a personal belonging on it, and habitually leaves the place to do his chores and returns only at the time when the ‘iqaamah’ is declared….he would be stretching the extent of the allowance of the hadith!

If one person does stretch the extent of the allowance, the believers are well within their rights to allow it; but if every worshipper were to do this in the masjid, whereby they come early and block a space for themselves and their friends, the ‘imam’ or the authorities of the masjid must take steps to discourage this practice.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan