• Prayers: Changing places after a congregational prayer
Why do people change their places after a congregational prayer is over in a mosque in order to offer voluntary prayers? I personally prefer to stay in the same place. Is it acceptable?
It is perfectly appropriate if you offer your voluntary prayer in the same place where you offered your obligatory one with the congregation in the mosque. Indeed, there is no restriction on the places where you can offer your prayers, since the Prophet has told us that the whole earth is considered a place for prayers for the nation of Islam. However, it is more convenient to change places in order to leave a free passage for those who have finished and want to go out. If all people in the congregation were to offer their voluntary prayers in the position where they offered the obligatory one, there will remain no gap for anyone who has already finished and wants to leave, or for those who wish to go out immediately, either because they have some work or because they wish to attend voluntary prayers at home, as recommended by the Prophet. Some people, however, do not change places and they are at no fault.
• Prayers: Children in congregation
Is it permissible to allow children to stand in the same line with their elders in congregation prayer?
If you are speaking of a large mosque in which a congregational prayer attracts several rows of worshippers and there are a number of children in the mosque, then children may preferably form a line behind the congregation. However, some people take this advice as meaning that a young child is not allowed to stand in the same line as grown-ups. This is not true. The Prophet has taught us to encourage our children to pray when they are seven. There is more emphasis requiring to teach them to pray when they are 10. Moreover, younger children are allowed in the mosque. We have the incident when the Prophet was leading the congregation and he prolonged his prostrations for a long while, until his companions felt that he might have suffered something. When the prayer was over, they told him that they were worried about him. He explained that his grandson mounted his back and he did not wish to interrupt the child's fun. There is no doubt that the Prophet's grandson at that time was less than seven years of age. Otherwise, the Prophet would have taught him to pray. There is nothing to suggest that the Prophet's grandson was more adept at purifying himself than other children of his age. If a child's clothes are dry and there is no apparent sign of the child carrying any impurity, then we assume that he has purified himself well. He is allowed in the mosque. He may stand in the same line as older people, particularly if it is feared that by placing him behind the congregation, he will be running around and disturbing the worshippers. Moreover, his father or any other adult who has brought him into the mosque will be all the time worried that the child could run away. It is more preferable in this case that the child stands next to his father or relative. It is sufficient that the child is closing a gap in the line which would otherwise be unfilled.
• Prayers: Combined in pilgrimage
What is the reason for joining two prayers on returning from Arafat?
When the Prophet set out on his pilgrimage he was joined by no fewer than one hundred thousand of Muslims who wanted to do the pilgrimage with him. As he started, he said to them: "Learn your rituals from me".
What he meant was that we should do the pilgrimage in the manner he has shown us. If you study carefully the reports of the way the Prophet conducted his pilgrimage, you realize that the pattern he set was deliberate and well thought out. Nothing took place by mere coincidence.
Therefore, we must follow the Prophet's example if we wish to do the pilgrimage properly. We need not question the reasons behind any selected method for doing a particular duty. This is the way Allah wants us to conduct this act of worship. We do it as He wishes, i.e. in the way shown to us by the Prophet.
On the day of Arafat, the Prophet offered his prayers in a particular way and told all pilgrims with him to do likewise. He prayed Dhuhr and Asr consecutively at Arafat, shortly after the time of Dhuhr prayer began.
Furthermore, he shortened each of the two prayers to two rak'ahs. Although people from Makkah may feel that Arafat is at too short a distance to merit shortening prayer, they should do as the Prophet has done, because the Prophet was joined by thousands of pilgrims from Makkah and all offered their prayers as he did.
After the sun had set on that day, one of his companions suggested to the Prophet that they should offer Maghrib prayers. The Prophet told him that on that particular occasion, prayer would be offered after they had reached a certain spot. It was only after reaching Muzdalifah that the Prophet offered Maghrib and Isha prayer.
Therefore, these two prayers must be offered in Muzdalifah. They must be joined together, which means that Maghrib is offered complete, three rak'ahs and finished with Salam. Immediately afterward, people should rise to offer their Isha prayer which is shortened to two rak'ahs. This is what the Prophet has taught us and this is the manner which we must follow.