Faizel Patel – 13/03/2021

(Twitter: @FaizelPatel143)

With just about a month left before the start of the blessed month of Ramadan, Muslims have been urged to avoid inconveniencing others in the masjid when going for salaah or when parking at the place of worship.

Sadly, it has become a bad habit among many to force themselves to the front of the masjid disturbing others who have already occupied the first few safs.

Renowned and respected scholar Ml Sulaimaan Ravat during the Hadith Discussion segment on Radio Islam shared a hadith and important advices about such habits which have become the norm.

Ml Ravat says while it is correct to complete the saf if there are gaps in the front of the masjid, if there is no space the person must find the closest available musallah without inconveniencing any musallee.

“You see this sometimes also in the Haram. People come late, it’s full they don’t want to sit at the back.  They want to try and get to the front, near the aircon, the Imam, jumping over people’s shoulders, squeezing in between people, people than need to move sideways to give them more space. That is causing inconvenience to people when they are listening to a lecture or busy with their salaah and dua.”

Ml Ravat says some people also tend not to fill in the open spaces.

“The actual etiquette is that for any salaah and Jumu’ah salaah as you come into the masjid, you fill the first row, the second and the third. We’ve got this bad habit of wanting to linger at the back against the walls and by the pillars and only come to the front when the salaah commences. That is incorrect, that is against the etiquette and the Sunnah method of filling the rows and suffuf in the masjid.”

Ml Ravat says people should also not inconvenience others when parking at the masjid when coming for salaah.

“I remember once I delivered a talk at a masjid in Lenasia and I needed to go the airport. The person came and park behind the Imam’s parking and he made us wait. Nobody knew whose car it was and he came out with such an attitude. He said: ‘I was performing salaah, I was performing salaah, don’t object, I was performing salaah.’ Bhai, you were causing inconvenience which is haram.”

Ml Ravat says Salaah is a gift that Allah gave to Prophet Muhammad ([PBUH) for the Ummah and that we should practice the Sunnah when we observe our five times obligatory salaah.

Listen to the discussion by Ml Sulaimaan Ravat