The mosques will be filled during Ramadaan, bi’ithnillah. Sadly,  many who will attend the mosque are not regular goers, and what’s worse, many are unaware of the etiquettes of praying in the mosque. Wonky lines, preceding the imam, praying away from the jama’ah, and chit chatting are all too common sights…such that it is almost embarrassing!

My dear brothers and sisters, Ramadaan is a time for spiritual upliftment, and hence salah is crucial now and after Ramdaan too! It should be one our focuses to maximise our rewards throughout the year. Easy, simple sunnahs if adhered to will warrant mountains of rewards…let’s build good habits this Ramadaan!

Let’s begin with the basics:

Please note for the sake of brevity, I have not mentioned all the relevant Ahadith that pertain to these issues.

• Wudhu: Salah is not valid without wudhu. Ensure your wudhu is complete, and according to the Sunnah. Don’t forget to say Bismillah before beginning. Read the duaa upon completion for the extra ajr.

• Awrah: wear adequate clothing to cover your awrah during the salah at all times, so that even if you bend, your back or legs (for sisters) are not exposed.

• Avoid eating food with strong odours, such as onions and garlic before attending the mosque. You can find out more about this here.

• Enter the mosque with your right foot
• Read the relevant duaa’s upon entering and exiting the mosque
• Praying tahiyyatul-masjid: Upon entering the mosque, one should pray two units of prayer as ‘greeting the mosque,’ whether these be voluntary prayers or combine the intention with your obligatory prayer.
• Put Your shoes on the Racks: Shoes scattered on the floor not only look embarrassingly untidy, but they are also a hazard.

• Do not obstruct the entrances: the mosques are places of remembering Allah. Whilst making salam is permissible and encouraged, do not hang around the entrances and exits or make mosque attendance a social gathering for idle talk, blocking others from entering and leaving.

• Do not raise your voices: When conversing in the mosque be mindful that others are praying, and that mosques are for the remembrance of Allah.
• Fill up the first rows: 

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The best rows for men are the first rows, and the worst ones the last ones, and the best rows for women are the last ones and the worst ones for them are the first ones. (Muslim)

If you are a woman in the women’s section of the mosque this does not mean that you pray right at the back, rather you fill up the first of the rows allocated for the sisters, which is behind the men. Furthermore, it is only polite to leave space for late comers in the back, so that they do inconvenience anyone by having to walk in front of one who is already praying.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Complete the first row, then the next one, and if there is to be any incomplete row let it be the last row.” (Ahmad, An-Nisa’i, Abu Dawud, Saheeh by Sh Al-Albaani)

If worshipers leave the row in front of you, it is obligatory for you to fill that gap and connect the rows.

• Make the rows straight: Each person should be in-line, none ahead and none behind.

Our Prophet commanded us, ‘Straighten your rows, for straightening the rows is part of perfecting the prayer.’ (Bukhari and Muslim)

• Join shoulders to shoulders and feet to feet: Literally touch your feet with the person beside you. We are all one ummah, and this was a command from our Prophet.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Make your rows straight, stand shoulder to shoulder and close the gaps, and do not resist your brothers’ hands. Do not leave any gaps for the Shaytaan. Whoever complete a row, Allah will reward him, and whoever breaks a row, Allah will forsake him. (Abu Dawood, An-Nasaa’i, Saheeh by Sh Al-Albaani)

Tip: Be careful not to inconvenience anyone by squashing them or stepping on their toes when trying to implement this Sunnah. The widest part of your body is your shoulders, therefore align your feet to the width of your shoulders when standing, automatically you will line up, joining with the person beside you without inconveniencing them.

• Do not distract others: Distracting others by sitting ahead of the row, making a scene, reading Quran loudly, talking, laughing, crying hysterically etc., deduct from the khushu (humility and concentration) of others and inconveniences them.

• Sneezing: Be sure to cover your mouth, and do not reply ‘Yarhamukallah’ (May Allah have mercy on you) or anything else to one who has sneezed, for it interrupts the prayer and talking is impermissible during the prayer.

• Coughing, yawning, burping and the like: cover your mouth and do not breath towards others. Burping is a big issue in Ramadaan, and sadly many worshippers are inconvenienced by horrible smells. (See more here)

• There is no prayer once the iqamah is sounded: If a person enters the mosque and is praying the sunnah while the iqamah is called, then the best opinion in this case is that if he is in his second rak‘ah, he should shorten it, and if he is in the first rak‘ah, he should just break his prayer and enter the congregation with the Imam. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘If iqamah is called for the prayer then there is no prayer except the obligatory one.’  (Sahih Muslim)

• The Imam is appointed to be followed: It is impermissible to anticipate the imam’s actions and precede him. The Prophet peace be upon him said, ‘“The imam is only appointed to be followed, so when he says takbeer, then say takbeer; when he bows, then bow (and do not bow until he bows), when he says ‘Sami’a Allahu liman hamidah’, then say ‘Allahumma rabbana lakal hamd’.” (Bukhari, Muslim and Abu Dawud)
• Joining the Jama’ah and being in a row by yourself: The most correct view is that if there is a congregation, one should join in, as praying alone in a row is incorrect, and standing in the row is obligatory. Unless there is no room in the last row, then he is to begin a new row. To pull someone out from the last row to join you is incorrect, because it inconveniences him, makes him lose concentration in his prayer, and moves him from a better spot to a worse one (as the first rows have more reward), and it also breaks a row which is impermissible.

• Children in the mosque: It is permissible for a child who has reached the age of discernment, which is the age of seven years, to stand in the row with adults during the congregational prayer. This is indicated by the report narrated by Bukhari from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I and an orphan in our house prayed behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and my mother Umm Sulaym (prayed) behind us.

It is also permissible for a parent to break their prayer to quieten their child if his or her cries are disturbing to the worshipers. Similarly, the imam is permitted to shorten the prayers if he hears a child’s cries.

These are just some basic guidelines for attending the mosque, and praying congregation, which if followed will create unity and sense of brotherhood/sisterhood. May Allah aid us in implementing the Sunnah to the best of our abilities. Ameen

For sisters attending the mosque, you can find more information here.