Are Lines on Masjid Carpets to Straighten the Rows Permissible?

Shaykh Abu Bakr Al-Hammadi (may Allah preserve him) mentioned in his explanation ʿUmdat Al-Aḥkām, Lesson No. 204: The Prophet ﷺ said: "Straighten your rows, for straightening the rows is part of completing the prayer." As we have already learned, the Prophet ﷺ commanded that the rows be straightened. Whatever permissible means help to achieve this legislated objective are not prohibited. Rather, such means are allowed. An example of this is the lines marked on the floors of masjids. They are simply a means of helping people straighten the rows. When these lines began appearing in masjids during more recent times, a difference of opinion arose among the scholars. Most of the scholars permitted them, while others prohibited them and regarded them as an innovation (bid‘ah). So the scholars differed regarding these lines. Those who prohibited them said: These lines are something newly introduced, and this practice was not known during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Therefore, they fall under the statement of the Prophet ﷺ: "Whoever introduces into this matter of ours that which is not from it, it will be rejected." They said: The reason for having such lines existed during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He could have marked lines on the ground, but he did not do so. Whenever the reason for doing something existed during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, yet he did not do it, then introducing it later is considered an innovation. Those who allowed these lines said: These lines are merely a means to achieve a legislated objective—an objective that the Islamic legislation itself has commanded, namely straightening the rows. The Prophet ﷺ instructed the Muslims to straighten their rows in numerous hadiths, and these lines are simply a means of achieving that legislated objective. There is a well-known principle: "The means take the ruling of the objectives." What is meant here is permissible means. They take the ruling of the objectives they serve. Therefore, the means that lead to obligatory matters take the ruling of being obligatory, and the means that lead to recommended matters take the ruling of being recommended. Likewise, the means that lead to prohibited matters also take the ruling of being prohibited. So they said: These lines are a means to achieving a legislated matter, namely straightening the rows. Based on this, they ruled that they are permissible and legislated. As for saying that they are innovations, that is somewhat far-fetched, because these lines are not acts of worship in themselves. Rather, they are only a means that assists an act of worship; they are only a means of carrying out an act of worship. They are not acts of worship in themselves. Therefore, they are not judged to be innovations, because they fall under the category of means used to perform worship, not under the category of acts of worship themselves. The basic principle regarding means used to achieve a legislated objective is that they are legislated, as long as they are originally permissible and are not prohibited in themselves. So if a means is permissible by nature and helps to achieve a legislated objective, then it is considered permissible and legislated. The lines marked on the floor are of this type. They help achieve the legislated objective of straightening the rows. Therefore, they are a means, not an act of worship. Another example is raising the voice for the adhan. This is a legislated objective. Loudspeakers are simply a means of achieving that objective. Therefore, it cannot be said that they are innovations just because they are something new and did not exist during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, since they are not acts of worship in themselves. Rather, they are only a means of achieving a legislated objective. The same applies to microphones and speakers that amplify the sound. People use them during the prayer. The imam uses them in his prayer, and the khatib uses them during the Friday sermon so that the people can hear the imam clearly and hear the sermon properly. It cannot be said that this is an innovation simply because it did not exist during the time of the Prophet ﷺ. That is because these are means, not acts of worship. Making the people hear the imam's recitation is a legislated objective, and making the people hear the Friday sermon is also a legislated objective. These devices are only means to achieve those objectives. The same applies to other things that appeared after the time of the Prophet ﷺ. As long as they are means and not acts of worship, they do not come under the innovations referred to in the statement of the Prophet ﷺ: "Whoever introduces into this matter of ours that which is not from it, it will be rejected." If someone says, "Loudspeakers and the other examples you mentioned are different because the need for them did not exist during the time of the Prophet ﷺ. But as for the lines on the floor, the Prophet ﷺ could have made lines, yet he did not. This shows that doing so is not legislated." The response is that this argument requires closer examination. The statement mentioned by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) in Iqtidāʾ aṣ-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm is referring to matters of worship, not to matters that are merely means. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) spoke about this issue. He explained that if the reason for doing something existed during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, yet the Prophet ﷺ deliberately did not do it despite that reason being present, then it is not legislated, and introducing it later is considered an innovation. He gave examples from acts of worship, such as giving the adhan for the two Eid prayers. The reason for giving an adhan existed during the time of the Prophet ﷺ. Yet the Prophet ﷺ did not give an adhan for the Eid prayers, even though the mu'adhdhin would give the adhan for the five daily prayers. Since the reason existed during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, anyone who says it is recommended to give the adhan for the Eid prayers has placed that recommendation where it does not belong. Whoever gives the adhan for the Eid prayers has introduced something into the religion of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and has done something that the Prophet ﷺ deliberately left. This ruling applies in matters of worship. Likewise, if the reason for doing something did not exist during the time of the Prophet ﷺ but arose afterwards, and that reason was the sins of the people, then introducing something because of the people's sins is also not legislated. An example of this is what some rulers did when they moved the Eid sermon to before the Eid prayer. They said, "Things have changed from how they were during the time of the Prophet ﷺ. In the Prophet's time, people would remain after the Eid prayer and listen to his sermon. But now people's situation has changed. As soon as the Eid prayer ends, they leave and do not stay to listen to the sermon." Because of this, some rulers wanted to deliver the sermon before the prayer, thinking this would serve a beneficial purpose. However, the scholars strongly objected to this. Although the people's situation had changed from what it was during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, that change had only occurred because of the people's sins. This was because the preachers themselves had introduced things into their sermons that differed from the way of the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ would address the people about what they needed, teach them what benefited them, and they would gain benefit from his words and his sermons. But the rulers began speaking about their own affairs, their political matters, and issues that concerned themselves. This caused the people to lose interest and turn away. So the reason people became unwilling to listen was because of what the rulers themselves had done. That did not justify changing the place of the sermon and delivering it before the prayer. In any case, it appears that the statement of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) does not include permissible means.