Does the boy stand behind the imam or at the ends of the rows?

The Shaykh : Yes

The questioner : In response to this question, some may ask whether one should stand behind the imam or at the ends of the rows?

The Shaykh : He should be at the ends of the rows, of course, because there is an authentic hadith regarding the position behind the imam. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Abu ibn Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) applied this hadith once, as recorded in *Sunan al-Nasa'i*: So, do not let any feeling of dislike arise in your heart, for I did this not to belittle you, but to implement this noble Prophetic command: Therefore, those who stand behind the rows, even if they are large men, should not occupy the position behind the imam unless they are people of knowledge and virtue. It is possible that something may happen to the imam that requires bringing forward a man to take his place. If the one standing behind him is an ordinary Muslim who may not know how to recite al-Fatihah proficiently, then this position should not be occupied except by those of sound judgment and intellect, as in this authentic hadith. Yes.