Praying Behind the Row

Question: When I enter the mosque and find that the row is already complete, should I pull someone back to stand with me, should I pray alone behind the row, or what should I do if I cannot find a place next to the imam? Kindly advise us; may Allah reward you with the best reward.

Answer: If a person arrives and the row is full, he should first look for a gap in the row and slip into it. If no space is available, he should try to stand on the imam’s right, and both of these options are sanctioned by the Sharia. If he still cannot manage, he should wait in the hope that someone else will arrive and stand with him behind the row. Pulling someone out of the row is not appropriate—first, because it creates a gap in the row, and second, because the narration cited to support this practice is not an evidence strong enough to rely upon. Therefore, drawing someone from the row should be avoided. He must do whatever he can, and if he cannot join the row or stand to the imam’s right, he should wait until someone comes and forms a row with him. Praying alone behind the row is impermissible, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited it in an authentic hadith, saying: "lā ṣalāta lilladhī khalf aṣ-ṣaff (There is no prayer for the one who stands behind the row)."

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Praying on Usurped Land

Question: What is meant by “usurped land,” and what is the ruling on praying on it?

Answer: Usurped land is land that someone seizes without right, in light of the statement