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Is leading salah from the first row without a proper reason considered undesirable (Mukrooh)?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Darulifta-Deoband.com
Assalam O Alaikum, This is regarding Fatwa ID No. 14851. Alhamdulillah you have already replied my earlier questions. But people are not satisfied with this reply they say you have not asked the question clearly. Now I would like to tell you the incident in detail, what was happened in our Masjid. “One day Imam lead salah from the first row, after the salah one of the muqtadi who is also a knowledgable person objurgate Imam for this act (To lead salah from the first row). He told Imam that this is undesirable (Mukrooh) to lead salah from the first row without having any proper reason. He further said I have already asked you to stop this act then what is the proble with you? Kindly send an early reply. Allah Hafiz

Answer

(Fatwa: 1432/1433=M=1430)

We have written in the previous fatwa that standing in the middle of the row is sunnah for imam. It is meant that the imam is in middle, it is not necessary for him to stand in the mihrab as it is constructed in the middle of mosque; therefore it is said that standing in mihrab is called sunnah, otherwise mihrab means facing mihrab:

کما في رد المحتار: السنۃ أن یقوم الإمام إزاء وسط الصف ألا تری أن المحاریب مانصبت إلا وسط المساجد وھي قد عینت لمقام الإمام الخ

So in the event mentioned in the question, if the imam led the salah opposite to the mihrab in the first row, the salah was valid and the requirement of sunnah was fulfilled though he did so without any proper reason.

But, however it is not known what the muqtadi mean by proper reason, and what reason he gives for condemning imam because of not leading salah from mihrab. If it was explained we would have been able to shed some light on the same as well.

Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) knows Best

Darul Ifta,
Darul Uloom Deoband

This answer was collected from the official ifta website of Darul Uloom Deoband in India.

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