The Imam Standing in the Middle When Space Is Tight

Question

There is a mosque in which there is simply no place for the imam to stand. The imam stands about one step ahead of the row: half the row to his right and half the row to his left. Is the prayer valid? In the middle the space remains empty.

Answer

When the mosque is so cramped, it is permissible for the imam to stand in the middle — just as, when there is a single follower, he stands on the right [of the imam]. In the same way, let all the people stand on the right and on the left.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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