Do you ever think about what you do when you pray sunnah prayers? I mean after you just prayed maghrib for an example, what is it you do? Or specifically, why is it that everyone in the masjid always take a few steps to the side and prayer their sunnah prayers (some might even switch places with others)?
“It is so that you make more sujud on different places on the earth” some of you might reply, yes that’s all fine and good but do you not have some clear evidence to justify why you insist on changing the place of prayer? If a person asked you what evidence do you have to support your action? What do you respond?
Well the answer is quite simple (and yes it is actually from the Sunnah!) lets read Saheeh Muslim and check shall we?
Mu’aawiyyah bin Abee Sufyaan said:
The Messenger of Allaah commanded us not to pray a Salah straight after another Salah unless we would [separate it with] talk or leave [our place].
And Imaam an-Nawawee explains this saying:
In this hadeeth there is evidence for what the scholars say that it is preferred to pray the optional prayers in another place than where one prayed their obligatory prayer. And the best place for that is the house, but any other place inside the masjid will be valid.
[Taken from Saheeh Muslim The book of Jumu’ah p. 409-410]
