During Taraweeh prayers, the electricity cut out. Because of that, we started to pray in the rear part of the mosque, and that was because of severe heat. During the prayer, the electricity started working again, and suddenly the imam began to walk, whilst reciting, across a large distance, approximately 25 meters, in the direction of the qiblah, in order to reach the microphone, but as members of the congregation we did not follow him in that. After the prayer, we asked him: What made you do that? And he said that he moved in order to reach the microphone, because after the electricity came back and the fans began to work again, perhaps the women on the upper level might not be able to hear his voice properly. Please advise us about the issue of his moving across this distance and how permissible it is. What are the limits on moving whilst praying? Does it make a difference whether the prayer is obligatory or voluntary? How much may a person move (during the prayer) in the case of necessity?

Praise
be to Allah.

Firstly: 

It
is permissible to move whilst praying if that is in the interests of the
prayer, even if that entails a great deal of movement. al-Bukhaari (403) and
Muslim (526) narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said: Whilst the people were
praying Fajr in Quba’, someone came to them and said: Revelation came to the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) last night and
he was commanded to face towards the Ka‘bah, so face towards it. They were
facing towards Syria, so they turned to face the Ka‘bah 

Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This indicates that it is
permissible to move (whilst praying) if that is in the interests of the
prayer. 

End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (12/354) 

Moving during the prayer is divided into five categories, according to the
reason for it. If the reason for it is something obligatory, then moving is
obligatory. If the reason for it is something prohibited, then moving is
prohibited, and so on. For more information concerning that, please see the
answer to question no. 12683. 

Based on that, with regard to the imam’s moving forward in the direction of
the qiblah in order to reach the microphone so that the women could hear his
recitation and takbeer, if his voice was not reaching the women or there was
excessive difficulty in enabling the women to hear the recitation of the
imam, then his action was correct and Islamically prescribed, because it was
in the interests of the prayer. 

Abu Dawood (922) narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was praying with the door closed,
then I came and asked for it to be opened, so he walked and opened it for
me, then he went back to the place where he was praying. And he mentioned
that the door was in the direction of the qiblah.

Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. 

Ibn Khuzaymah (827) narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) was praying when a sheep passed in front of
him and he raced with it by moving towards the qiblah (to prevent it walking
in front of him), until he pressed his stomach against the wall (which was
in the direction of the qiblah).

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Sifat as-Salaah (p. 83) 

Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) prayed with the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and stood on his left, and the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) moved him and made him
stand on his right.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (138) and Muslim (763). 

If
the women could hear his voice without amplification, but they would hear it
more clearly and better with amplification, then what he did was not proper
and in fact was extremely makrooh (disliked), because he did a lot of
movement that he did not need to do, which might have resulted in
distraction of the worshippers during the prayer, and caused confusion
during the prayer and led to them disputing after the prayer. 

Secondly: 

With regard to the limits on moving during the prayer, the guideline is that
it is permissible if it is in the interests of the prayer, even if it is a
great deal of movement. But if it is not in the interests of the prayer and
there is no need for that, then it is makrooh even if it is a little
movement, and the prayer is rendered invalid by it if there is a great deal
of movement. 

Al-Mirdaawi said in al-Insaaf (2/129): 

Actions which are usually regarded as being a great deal and that are not
part of the prayer render it invalid whether that is done deliberately or
otherwise. It should be noted that the prayer is rendered invalid by a great
deal of movement that is done deliberately, and there is no difference of
scholarly opinion that I know of concerning that. It is also invalidated by
that (great deal of movement) if it is done absentmindedly, according to the
correct view, and it was narrated by the commentator and others that there
was consensus on this point. 

What is meant by the prayer being rendered invalid by a great
deal of movement is if there is no need for that.
End quote. 

Thirdly: 

The Sunnah is for the believer to focus on his prayer with proper humility,
both mentally and physically, whether it is an obligatory or supererogatory
prayer, because Allah, may He be glorified, says (interpretation of the
meaning):


“Successful
indeed are the believers


Those who offer their Salat (prayers) with all solemnity and
full submissiveness”


[al-Mu’minoon 23:1-2]. 

There is no difference in the rulings between obligatory and supererogatory
prayers except in matters for which there is specific evidence. Ibn Qudaamah
(may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

Whatever invalidates an obligatory prayer also invalidates a voluntary
prayer.

End quote from al-Mughni (2/47). 

But there may be more causes for movement during a supererogatory prayer
than in an obligatory prayer, because supererogatory prayers are usually
done at home, which makes it more likely that some urgent matter may arise
which requires the worshipper to move, in contrast to the obligatory prayers
which are usually done in the mosque,as we have seen above in the hadith
about the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) opening the
door for ‘Aa’ishah. Ibn Hazm also narrated in al-Muhalla (2/126) from
Mu‘aadhah al-‘Adawiyyah that ‘Aa’ishah the Mother of the Believers used to
instruct her servant to share out the broth, and she would pass in front of
her whilst she was praying, and she would gesture her to add more; and she
would instruct that something be given to a poor person, gesturing to that
effect whilst she was praying. 

It
was also narrated from Mu‘aadhah from ‘Aa’ishah the Mother of the Believers
that she stood up to pray wearing a chemise and headcover, and she pointed
to the wrapper and I handed it to her; there were other women with her and
she gestured to them with her hand to have some food – i.e., whilst she was
praying. 

Fourthly:

The extent to which it is permissible to move whilst praying is known by the
extent of the need to do so. If the need is something essential, such as
moving in the interests of the prayer, or moving to kill a snake or a
scorpion whilst praying, or moving to save someone from drowning or dying,
then there is no blame on the worshipper for that, and in fact he may be
instructed to do it.

But if the need to move whilst praying is not essential, then the ruling on
the movement is connected to that, and it varies according to the reason for
it, as you will see by referring to question no. 12683 

Based on that, what appears to us to be the case is that there is no blame
on the imam for what he did in his prayer, if there was a problem in his
voice reaching the women. What the people praying behind him should have
done was to follow him in his prayer, especially since it was not clear to
them for certain whether he was mistaken in doing that. 

And Allah knows best.