Question:
Asalamu alaikum.
I saw a video saying that we should move from the spot we were praying our fard to another place when going to pray sunnah. Is this right? And if so, are we to do this when praying at home? For sisters as well this ruling
Question:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
This practice of moving to another spot to perform the Sunnah is established from Hadith and is thus recommended.
Rasulullah ﷺ said: Is anyone of you incapable of stepping forward or backward or to the right or left when going to perform supererogatory (Sunnah/Nafl) prayer? (Sunan Abu Dawood, 1006)[1]
The scholars have mentioned that the reason for this is to break up the rows and to not imitate performing Fardh Salaah, which may confuse the newcomers to the Masjid and also to increase the number of places one prostrates on, as this will bear testimony for a person on the day of judgement.[2]
Those praying at home may also practice this for the latter reason mentioned.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Arshad Ali
Darul Iftaa, Jaamia Madinatul Uloom (Trinidad)
www.fatwa-tt.com /www.jaamia.net
[2] وَلَا يَشْتَغِلُ بِالتَّطَوُّعِ فِي مَكَانِ الْفَرِيضَةِ لِلْحَدِيثِ الْمَرْوِيِّ: «أَيَعْجِزُ أَحَدُكُمْ إذَا صَلَّى أَنْ يَتَقَدَّمَ أَوْ يَتَأَخَّرَ بِسُبْحَتِهِ أَيْ بِنَافِلَتِهِ»، وَلِأَنَّهُ يُفْتَنُ بِهِ الدَّاخِلُ أَيْ يَظُنُّهُ فِي الْفَرِيضَةِ فَيَقْتَدِي بِهِ وَلَكِنَّهُ يَتَحَوَّلُ إلَى مَكَان آخَرَ لِلتَّطَوُّعِ اسْتِكْثَارًا مِنْ شُهُودِهِ، فَإِنَّ مَكَانَ الْمُصَلِّي يَشْهَدُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَالْأَوْلَى أَنْ يَتَقَدَّمَ الْمُقْتَدِي وَيَتَأَخَّرَ الْإِمَامُ لِيَكُونَ حَالُهُمَا فِي التَّطَوُّعِ خِلَافَ حَالِهِمَا فِي الْفَرِيضَةِ
ص38 – كتاب المبسوط للسرخسي – باب افتتاح الصلاة – المكتبة الشاملة