Fatwaa ID: 902

Question:
Assalamualaikum Mufti saab.

Here in India at almost in all the masjids , for old people the masjid provides chairs usually kept at corners. This is ok but my concern is that their foot position is not in line with other people praying without the chair so this still makes proper saff?
And also my suggestion was their feet and the people’s feet without chair could be made in-line if chair’s position is slightly pushed backward (i.e chair front legs are now kept in-line with people’s feet that are praying without chair). And it must me noted that no men without chair must pray back of these chairs that means that this entire corner row must be filled with chairs. Please suggest.

Is it permissible for the old people witch chair to pray in this position where their foot is not in-line with it other people’s foot which are without chair?

Answer:
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullaahi wa-barakaatuh.

We take note of the details of your query as well your suggestion. However, the suggestion may not be practical in all masjids and situations.

If a person is perform salaah sitting with gestures, i.e., he is not performing sujood on the ground, then he should place the back of his chair on the line. His body will be in line with everyone in the saff and his feet will be ahead. The back legs of the chair will take the place of his feet.

If he is making sujood on the ground, then his feet should be in line with the others if that is possible without causing others inconvenience and without him breaking the line. If it is causing others inconvenience, then he should either pray in the back or move ahead like he did in the first scenario. However, this will not be permitted if he is standing next to the imaam. The feet of the imaam must be ahead in this case.

And Allaah Ta’aala knows best.
Mufti Muajul I. Chowdhury
Darul Iftaa New York
https://askthemufti.us/

وصل اللهم وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى ءاله وصحبه أجمعين

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