Ruling on reserving a spot in the first row and staying away from it for a long time

It is permissible for one who is in the mosque to put his
prayer mat etc in his spot, and to sleep at the back of the mosque, and then
come back to his spot, even if that is in the first row, so long as the
iqaamah for prayer has not been given. If the iqaamah for prayer has been
given and he is not there, then he has no right to the spot and his prayer
mat should be taken away. 

Similarly, if he goes out of the mosque for some reason, such
as going to do wudoo’ and then comes back, he has more right to the spot.
But if the reason is no longer present, and he is careless and comes back
late, then he has no right to it. 

The evidence regarding this matter is the report narrated by
Muslim (3179) from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), according
to which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “Whoever gets up from his place then comes back to it, has more
right to it.” 

Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni (2/101): 

If he sits in a place,
then he leaves it because he wants to do something or he needs to do wudoo’,
he may leave… If he gets up and leaves his spot then comes back, he has more
right to it, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “Whoever gets up from his place then comes back to it, has more
right to it.” End quote. 

It says in Mataalib Ooli al-Nuha fi Sharh Ghaayat
al-Muntaha (1/786): 

The one who comes back shortly after leaving for a reason
such as wudoo’ has more right to the place where he was before than anyone
else. If someone else has sat there, he has the right to make him get up… In
al-Wajeez this was limited to cases where he comes back straightaway
and is not distracted by anything else. End quote. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (5/135) when discussing the prohibition on
reserving a spot in the mosque then leaving the mosque: 

The correct view concerning this matter is that it is not
permissible to reserve a spot and leave the mosque, and his prayer mat may
be removed, because the basic principle is that whatever he put down with no
right may be removed. But if negative consequences are feared as a result of
picking it up, such as enmity or hatred and so on, then it should not be
picked up, because warding off negative consequences takes precedence over
bringing benefits. If Allaah knows from your intention that were it not for
this prayer mat you would be in his place, then Allaah will give you the
reward of those who sit in the front rows, because you only left this place
in the front row for a reason. 

The phrase “so long as the time for prayer has not yet come”
means that if the time for prayer has come and the iqaamah has been given,
then we may pick up the prayer mat, because in this case it has no sanctity
or protection, and because if we leave it, there will be a gap in the row,
and that is contrary to the Sunnah. 

An exception is made to the correct view that it is haraam to
put down the prayer mat. If a man is in the mosque and he puts his prayer
mat down in the first row, or anything else to indicate that he is reserving
this spot, then he goes to the back of the mosque to sleep, or to read
Qur’aan or another book, then in this case he is entitled to do that,
because he is still in the mosque. But if the rows started to fill, then he
has to go back to his spot, so that he will not be stepping over people’s
necks. 

Another exception is that mentioned by the author:

Whoever gets up from his spot for some reason, then he comes
back to it soon afterwards, he has more right to it. If a person has
reserved a spot and he goes out of the mosque for a valid reason, then he
comes back, he has more right to it. A valid reason is something like
needing to do wudoo’, or if anything happens to him that makes him go out.
If he goes out, when he comes back he has more right to it. 

But the author stipulated that he should come back quickly.
The apparent meaning of the author’s words is that if he takes a long time
to come back, he does not have more right to it, and anyone else may sit
there. 

Some of the scholars said that he does have the right to it,
even if he comes back after a long time, so long as the excuse was still in
effect. This view is more correct, because the continuation of the excuse is
like the beginning of it. If it is permissible for him to leave the mosque
and to leave the prayer mat there when the excuse first appears, then if the
excuse continues it is still permissible. But it is well known that if the
iqaamah for prayer is given and he is still absent, then his prayer mat
should be picked up. 

It says in al-Rawd: The majority did not limit it to
coming back soon, i.e., the majority of the companions of Imam Ahmad did not
limit it to coming back soon, as is the apparent meaning of the hadeeth. 

But what we have
mentioned is the middle view, i.e., that if he comes back after a long time
because the excuse continued, then he has more right to it, but if the
excuse ceased, but he was careless and took a long time, then he no longer
has more right to it. End quote. 

Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 5/135 

There is nothing wrong with a person who is observing
i’tikaaf sleeping in the first row in between the prayers, so long as that
does not cause any annoyance or hardship to anyone else, in which case it is
better to keep away from the front rows. 

It is preferable to avoid sleeping in the front rows out of
consideration for other people, because they do not like this action. 

And Allaah knows best.