285. Why Is That People Move To Different Spots After Praying Fardh Prayers?

By Asma bint Shameem 

I see people move to a different spot after praying fardh prayers.

Why is that?

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam instructed us to SEPARATE an obligatory prayer from a voluntary prayer.

Mu‘aawiyah radhi Allaahu anhu said: 

“When you have prayed Jumu‘ah, do not follow it immediately with another prayer until you *speak* or *leave* (the masjid), because the Messenger of Allah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam 

instructed us to do that; *not to follow one prayer immediately with another until we spoke or left (the masjid)*.” (Saheeh Muslim 1463)

So the purpose is to SEPARATE the Fardh from the Sunnah. 

That can be achieved by either:

-changing our spot where we prayed 

OR 

-by talking to someone, 

OR

-by even sitting in our place and saying the adhkaar that are said after Salaah. 

So we should separate between our Fardh and Sunnah prayers as the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam instructed. 

We should not immediately get up as soon as we finish our Fardh prayer to read our Sunnah. 

Rather we should give a GAP between the two prayers. 

 Imaam Ibn Taymiyah said: 

“The Sunnah is to SEPARATE obligatory and voluntary prayers, in the case of Jumu‘ah and otherwise, as it is proven in as-Saheeh that the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam told people not to follow one prayer immediately with another until they separated them by moving or speaking. 

So one should not do what many people do, when they follow the salaam immediately with two rak‘ahs of Sunnah prayer, because this is going against the prohibition of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam. 

The wisdom behind that is to *distinguish* between that which is *obligatory* and that which is *not obligatory*, and also to *differentiate* between that which is *worship* and that which is *not worship*. 

Hence it is mustahabb to hasten to break the fast and to delay sahoor, and to eat before the prayer on the day of Eid al-Fitr, and it is disallowed to anticipate Ramadhaan by fasting one or two days before it. 

All of that is in order to *separate* between what is enjoined of fasting and what is not enjoined, and to separate between the act of worship and other acts, and also to distinguish between Jumu‘ah, which Allaah has made obligatory, and other prayers.” 

(al-Fataawa al-Kubra (2/359)

So SEPARATE between your Fardh prayer and Sunnah, whether you’re praying in the masjid or at home. 

And whether you’re a man or a woman. 

The recommendation applies to all. 

Another point to note is that the hadeeth that talks about ‘the earth giving witness to the different places you prayed’ is NOT authentic.  

So when we move to another place after praying Fardh, it is to *separate* between Fardh and Sunnah and NOT because the earth will give witness on the day of judgment about the different spots we prayed at. 

And if you’ve said your adhkaar or you have spoken to someone after you finished your prayer, you don’t *‘have’* to move to a different spot. 

Should I move to another spot in between Sunnah or Nafl prayers too?

There’s no proof of doing that but if you do, there’s nothing wrong with that either. 

 Shaikh Ibn Baaz said about the four rak‘ahs before Dhuhr:

“The best is to offer them two rak‘ahs by two, because of the saheeh hadith: “The prayers of the night and day are two rak‘ahs by two.” As for moving forwards or backwards, or to the right or to the left, this is mentioned in some da‘eef hadiths, and I do not know of anything to indicate that doing so is Sunnah. Rather there are some da‘eef hadiths which mention moving forwards or backwards, or to the right or to the left. 

Some of the scholars said that this is so that these spots may testify to this act of worship, but I do not know of anything concerning that that is proven to be from the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.

If someone offers the regular Sunnah prayers in one spot, there is nothing wrong with that, and I do not know of any evidence to suggest that it is mustahabb to move to another spot for the last two rak‘ahs (of the Sunnah prayer), whether he moves to the right or to the left, or forwards or backwards. 

But if he does that there is nothing wrong with it.” 

[Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb (10/296)]

And Allaah knows best