Obligations of the Prayer in Congregation: Straightening the rows, filling the gaps, shoulder-to-shoulder, feet-to-feet… (Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaimeen)

Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaimeen (rahimahullah) said: “From the responsibilities of the Imām is that he is ardent upon establishing and straightening the rows in both his speech and action. So if mere speech does not suffice, he then commands them to straighten the rows and line them up. He asserts that upon them and warns them from opposing that; and he straightens them with his hand if they do not listen just as our Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam), our Imām and our example did. It is reported from Anas bin Mālik (Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said:

سَوُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ فَإِنَّ تَسْوِيَةَ الصَّفِّ مِنْ تَمَامِ الصَّلَاةِ

“Straighten your rows as the straightening of the rows is essential for a perfect and correct prayer.” (Reported by al-Bukhārī, no. 723; Muslim, no. 433, and the narrator is Anas bin Mālik)

And in a wording of al-Bukhārī:

سَوُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ فَإِنَّ تَسْوِيَةَ الصُّفُوفِ مِنْ إِقَامَةِ الصَّلَاةِ

“Straighten your rows, for indeed the straightening of the rows is from the perfection and establishment of the prayer.”

And in the wording of Abu Dawūd:

رُصُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ وَقَارِبُوا بَيْنَهَا وَحَاذُوا بِالْأَعْنَاقِ

“Line up your rows tightly and make your rows close, and make your necks straight in one line.”

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Comment (Abu Khadeejah): This naraation was reported by Abu Dawūd from Anas bin Mālik, no. 667, declared sahīh by al-Albānī. The complete wording of the hadīth is:

رُصُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ وَقَارِبُوا بَيْنَهَا وَحَاذُوا بِالْأَعْنَاقِ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنِّي لَأَرَى الشَّيْطَانَ يَدْخُلُ مِنْ خَلَلِ الصَّفِّ كَأَنَّهَا الْحَذَفُ

“Line up your rows tightly, and be close together, and make your necks straight (in one line). I swear by Him in whose Hands is my soul, I see the Shaitān enter between the gaps in the rows as if he is a small black goat.” End.

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And there occurs in the hadīth of Ibn ʿUmar (Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said:

أَقِيمُوا الصُّفُوفَ وَحَاذُوا بَيْنَ الْمَنَاكِبِ وَسُدُّوا الْخَلَلَ وَلِينُوا بِأَيْدِي إِخْوَانِكُمْ وَلَا تَذَرُوا فُرُجَاتٍ لِلشَّيْطَانِ

“Straighten the rows, and stand shoulder to shoulder and leave no gaps, and be gentle with the hands/arms of your brothers – and do not leave any gaps for the Shaitān.” (Reported by Ahmad, 2/98; Abu Dawūd, no. 666; an-Nasā’ī, 2/93.

(Abu Dawūd (rahimahullāh) added: And the meaning of, “Be gentle with the hands of your brothers” is that if a man comes to the row and seeks to enter it, then it is compulsory upon each person to ease his shoulders so that he may enter the row.”)

Meaning close the space between the legs of one worshipper and the next for the Shaitān enters into the gaps between the people. And then he (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said:

وَمَنْ وَصَلَ صَفًّا وَصَلَهُ اللَّهُ وَمَنْ قَطَعَ صَفًّا قَطَعَهُ اللَّهُ

“Whoever connects a row, Allāh will connect him (with His Mercy) and whoever severs a row, then Allāh will sever him (from His Mercy).”

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Comment (Abu Khadeejah): Nuʿmān bin Bashīr (Allah be pleased with him) said:

فَرَأَيْتُ الرَّجُلَ يَلْزَقُ مَنْكِبَهُ بِمَنْكِبِ صَاحِبِهِ وَرُكْبَتَهُ بِرُكْبَةِ صَاحِبِهِ وَكَعْبَهُ بِكَعْبِهِ

“So I saw a person attach his shoulder to the shoulder of his companion, and his knee with his companion’s knee, and his ankle with his companion’s ankle.” (Reported by Abu Dawūd, under the chapter of ‘Straightening the Rows’, no. 622. Al-Albānī graded this hadīth as sahīh.)

Anas bin Mālik (Allah be pleased with him) said:

وَكَانَ أَحَدُنَا يُلْزِقُ مَنْكِبَهُ بِمَنْكِبِ صَاحِبِهِ وَقَدَمَهُ بِقَدَمِهِ

“Every one of us used to put his shoulder with the shoulder of his companion and his foot with the foot of his companion.” (Reported by al-Bukhārī, no. 725.) End.

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There occurs in the two Sahīhs from Anas bin Mālik (Allah be pleased with him):

أُقِيمَتْ الصَّلَاةُ فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِوَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ أَقِيمُوا صُفُوفَكُمْ وَتَرَاصُّوا فَإِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ ظَهْرِي

The Iqāmah was called and Allāh’s Messenger faced us and said: “Establish the rows and line up straight.” (Reported by al-Bukhārī, no. 718; Muslim, no. 434.)

An-Nuʿmān bin Bashīr (radiyallāhu ‘anhumā) said:

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُسَوِّي صُفُوفَنَا حَتَّى كَأَنَّمَا يُسَوِّي بِهَا الْقِدَاحَ حَتَّى رَأَى أَنَّا قَدْ عَقَلْنَا عَنْهُ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ يَوْمًا فَقَامَ حَتَّى كَادَ يُكَبِّرُ فَرَأَى رَجُلًا بَادِيًا صَدْرُهُ مِنْ الصَّفِّ فَقَالَ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ لَتُسَوُّنَّ صُفُوفَكُمْ أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ وُجُوهِكُمْ

“Allāh’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) used to straighten our rows as if he was straightening an arrow, until he saw that we had learned it. Then he came out one day and was about to say the takbīr when he noticed a man whose chest was sticking out from the row. So he said: ‘O servants of Allāh! You will indeed straighten your rows or Allāh will cause separation between your faces.’” (Reported by al-Bukhārī, no. 717; Muslim, no. 436.)

Meaning he will divide your hearts as occurs in the narration of Abu Dawūd. This is a severe threat upon the ones who do not straighten their rows, that Allāh (the Most High) will divide their hearts, so there will be differing in their opinions, and loss in their peace and harmony due to this differing in their rows.

And there is a narration on the authority of al-Barā bin ʿĀzib (radiyallāhu ‘anhu), who said:

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَتَخَلَّلُ الصَّفَّ مِنْ نَاحِيَةٍ إِلَى نَاحِيَةٍ يَمْسَحُ صُدُورَنَا وَمَنَاكِبَنَا وَيَقُولُ لَا تَخْتَلِفُوا فَتَخْتَلِفَ قُلُوبُكُمْ

“The Messenger of Allah (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) used to pass through the row from one side to the other – he would touch [and straighten] our chests and shoulders, and say: Do not differ [in the rows], otherwise your hearts will be made to differ.” (Abu Dawood, no. 664, graded saheeh by Shaikh Al-Albāni)

Nuʿmān bin Bashīr (radiyallāhu ‘anhu) said:

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُسَوِّي صُفُوفَنَا إِذَا قُمْنَا لِلصَّلَاةِ فَإِذَا اسْتَوَيْنَا كَبَّرَ

“The Messenger of Allāh would straighten our rows when we stood up to pray. Once we had straightened them, he would pronounce the takbīr.” (Reported by Abu Dawūd, no. 665. Al-Albānī graded it as sahīh.)

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Comments (Abu Khadeejah): Additionally, the congregation should not stand for the prayer until they see the Imām, even if the iqāmah has been called. Abu Qatādah (radiyallāhu ‘anhu) narrated that Allāh’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said:

إِذَا أُقِيمَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَلَا تَقُومُوا حَتَّى تَرَوْنِي

“If the iqāmah is called, do not stand for prayer till you see me (in front of you).” (Reported by al-Bukhārī, no. 637.) End.

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Reference for Al-‘Allāmah Ibn ‘Uthaimeen’s (rahimhulllāh) words: See volume II of Ad-Diyā’ al-Lāmiʿ min al-Khutub al-Jawāmiʿ.