Do not delay entering the prayer with the imam in the opening takbir, and the duty of straightening the rows lies with the imam
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : My brother, you are doing, you are doing as you please. Yes, that is right. You are a little late.
The Shaykh : Or no, it is not permissible to be late, no, because marriage is a recommended practice (sunnah) for the prayer, and entering with the imam is a recommended practice in it, and preserving the recommended practice in the prayer is more important than preserving the recommended practice for it. As for the matter of straightening the rows, straightening the rows is not his responsibility. Straightening the rows is the responsibility of whom? The imam. If it is not empty, he turns around, meaning if we do not straighten the rows well. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and 'Uthman appointed men to straighten the rows. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do it himself during his lifetime because the people were fewer, and he would wipe their chests and shoulders from one side to the other. He preferred the chests (peace and blessings be upon him), and he would go from the right to the left, and from the left to the right, wiping the shoulders and chests. But this is not present, is it?
The questioner : Let them be truthful.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is a mistake. In the time of 'Umar and 'Uthman, when the people increased and the mosque was expanded and became large, they would send men to straighten the rows. So if the men came and said, "Then the rows are straight," they would enter the prayer. So if, for example, we assume that the imam is not at the door and I am a ma'mum (one praying behind the imam) and I want to follow the recommended practice (sunnah), I would say, "If the iqamah is called, I will say to the imam, 'Wait a moment until we straighten the rows for ourselves.'" Of course, he might understand,
The presenter : By Allah.
The Shaykh : He might, he might, he might say, but the pressure of this drowning is upon us. We say, "Lies." If he did this, then you are not responsible, because this is the responsibility of whom? The imam. If Allah guided him and he straightened it himself, or he gave you permission to straighten it and you did, otherwise you are not responsible. You enter with the imam at the beginning of his prayer so that you do not
The Shaykh : Or no, it is not permissible to be late, no, because marriage is a recommended practice (sunnah) for the prayer, and entering with the imam is a recommended practice in it, and preserving the recommended practice in the prayer is more important than preserving the recommended practice for it. As for the matter of straightening the rows, straightening the rows is not his responsibility. Straightening the rows is the responsibility of whom? The imam. If it is not empty, he turns around, meaning if we do not straighten the rows well. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and 'Uthman appointed men to straighten the rows. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do it himself during his lifetime because the people were fewer, and he would wipe their chests and shoulders from one side to the other. He preferred the chests (peace and blessings be upon him), and he would go from the right to the left, and from the left to the right, wiping the shoulders and chests. But this is not present, is it?
The questioner : Let them be truthful.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is a mistake. In the time of 'Umar and 'Uthman, when the people increased and the mosque was expanded and became large, they would send men to straighten the rows. So if the men came and said, "Then the rows are straight," they would enter the prayer. So if, for example, we assume that the imam is not at the door and I am a ma'mum (one praying behind the imam) and I want to follow the recommended practice (sunnah), I would say, "If the iqamah is called, I will say to the imam, 'Wait a moment until we straighten the rows for ourselves.'" Of course, he might understand,
The presenter : By Allah.
The Shaykh : He might, he might, he might say, but the pressure of this drowning is upon us. We say, "Lies." If he did this, then you are not responsible, because this is the responsibility of whom? The imam. If Allah guided him and he straightened it himself, or he gave you permission to straighten it and you did, otherwise you are not responsible. You enter with the imam at the beginning of his prayer so that you do not
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 253- لا تتأخر عن الدخول مع الإمام في تكبيرة الإحرام، ومهمة تعديل الصفوف على الإمام. II ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.