Is It Permissible to Build Mosques with More People on the Left-Side of the Imam?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

Is it permissible to build the mosque in an arrangement where more people will be on the left-hand side of the Imam than on the right-hand side?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

When the Mosque requires expansion, the plans are best made keeping in mind the various Sunna of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) along with practicality.

It would be best to have the Imam’s prayer position be at the center of the Mosque, and the pulpit for the sermon just to the right side when facing the Qibla. If, however, this is not possible, it is permissible to do whatever is best for the Muslims within the confines of what is possible.

Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch teaches Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences.

He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he studied for three years in Dar al-Mustafa under some of the most outstanding scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib.

In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Quran and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Quranic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.

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