pole is the one built in the centre of the Rawdah. It is known as the Muh?jir?n pole. It was narrated that ‘Aishah said: ‘If people knew about the [greatness of the] pole, they would fight each other to be able to do their Sal?t towards it’, and that she told Ibn Az - Zubair about it who later on used to do his Sal?t towards it frequently. Later on, I found this very information in “Tar?khul Mad?nah” by Ibn An-Najj?r who said: ‘The Muh?jir?n who emigrated to Mad?nah from Quraish used to gather there’. The same was mentioned by Muhammad Ibn Al-Hasan in “Akhb?rul Mad?nah” long before Ibn An-Najj?r. (1)
The prophet’s ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) words: ‘ ... and to stick to a place in a mosque to do Sal?t, as camels stick to their resting places’ indicate that a muslim must not resemble animals -such as camels- in their behavior and stick to one place in the mosque for doing Sal?t. (2)
Al-Bah?t? said: ‘According to the prophet’s ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) prohibition to act as camels regarding their sticking to their resting places, it is detested for any muslim -to the exclusion of the Im?m [the leader of Sal?t]- to stick to one place in the mosque to do one’s obligatory Sal?t in. It is; however, permissible to do so when doing optional [supererogatory] Sal?t as some narrations state’. (3)
Three rationales stand behind this prohibition, they are:
(1) “Fath Al-B?r?” (vol. 1 / p. 577). As-Saf?r?n? mentioned in “Sharh Thul?thiyy?t Al-Musnad” (vol. 2 / p. 783) that when he performed Hajj in 1148 H., he went to the pole and found that a niche had been already built around it in order to be distinguished and easily seen by muslims. However, the pole had been moved a little bit from its original position. He [As-Saf?r?n?] asked Shaikh Muhammad Hay?t As-Sind? about the purpose of this movement; the later said: ‘As far as I know, the pole was moved from its original position in order that a muslim’s front-when he / she prostrates him / her self in that place-be at the same spot the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) used to stand’. As- Saf?r?n? then asked: ‘Why wasn’t a sign marked to make this purpose easily achieved?’ Muhammad said” ‘it was indeed done; the sign is to make your shoulders on the same level with the pulpit’. As-Saf?r?n? joyfully said: ‘I was happy to the bottom of my heart that I could not utter a word’.
(2) See: “Tahth?b Sunnan Ab? D?w?d” (vol .1 / p. 408) by Ibn Al-Qayyim.
(3) “Kash sh?f Al-Qin?’”(vol. 1 / p. 319).