Do the worshippers stand to the right of the imam until the right side is complete, then the left, or do they start with the right, then the left, until the row is complete?
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The questioner : Oh Shaykh, I have a question, if you please:
If the imam wants to straighten the rows, and most people move to the right side, taking into account the hadith on this matter, is it permissible for the imam to tell them to move or to complete the left side?
The Shaykh : Meaning: center the imam.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is what appears to be the case—may Allah know best—although there is no authentic and explicit hadith on this matter, but it can be derived from some hadiths. For example, the hadith of Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him):. If we look at this hadith, we can understand the correctness of that hadith in terms of its meaning, even if it is weak in terms of its chain, which is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . And there is no doubt that when we look at the hadith of Jabir and Jabbar, the concept of this hadith in terms of its implication remains to be acted upon. Also, a hadith with a weak chain was mentioned by al-Hafiz al-Mundhiri in al-Targhib: . He added—mentioning a phrase I do not remember now, such as sending blessings upon the one who comes to pray on the left side to balance the scale—but the truth is that there is no explicit hadith on this matter except what can be derived from the hadith of Jabir.
The questioner : Is there not a hadith that means: the angels pray upon the right sides of the rows?
Another questioner:?
The Shaykh : Yes, this hadith has weakness in it, but that does not mean it is a flaw in the balance, meaning that one person stands behind the imam and then the whole row goes to the right and there is no one on the left. Rather, it contains an encouragement to give preference to the right side, and of course, some general hadiths may support this meaning. But we should understand from it what I mentioned earlier regarding the hadith of Jabir and what it indicates about centering behind the imam, so that there is no exaggeration to the right or left. I think the result should be like this, based on the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) pushing these two men behind him. If a third person came and stood on the right, and if a fourth person came, he would stand on the left. And at that time, the solution would be right, left, right, left until the row is completed from both sides. Also, the practice of the Muslims in placing the mihrabs in the middle of the mosques indicates this, even though these mihrabs have no basis in the Sunnah, but in any case, they indicate that the position where the imam stands to lead people in prayer is in the middle of the mosque. If this meaning is also noted, we understand that the rule should be as we mentioned: right, left, right, left until the row is completed from both sides.
If the imam wants to straighten the rows, and most people move to the right side, taking into account the hadith on this matter, is it permissible for the imam to tell them to move or to complete the left side?
The Shaykh : Meaning: center the imam.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is what appears to be the case—may Allah know best—although there is no authentic and explicit hadith on this matter, but it can be derived from some hadiths. For example, the hadith of Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him):
That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was praying one time, so a man from the Companions named Jabbar came and stood to his right (peace and blessings be upon him), then Jabir came and stood to his left, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) pushed them behind him like this.
أن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم كان يصلي مرة ، فجاء رجل من الصحابة اسمه : جبار ، فوقف عن يمينه عليه الصلاة والسلام ، ثم جاء جابر فوقف عن يساره ، فدفعهم النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم- هكذا خلفهCenter the imam.
وسِّطوا الإمامThat the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) saw one day that the right side of the row
أن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم رأى ذات يوم أن الجانب الأيمن من الصفThe questioner : Is there not a hadith that means: the angels pray upon the right sides of the rows?
Another questioner:
Indeed, Allah and His angels pray upon the right sides of the rows.
إن الله وملائكته تصلي على ميامن الصفوفThe Shaykh : Yes, this hadith has weakness in it, but that does not mean it is a flaw in the balance, meaning that one person stands behind the imam and then the whole row goes to the right and there is no one on the left. Rather, it contains an encouragement to give preference to the right side, and of course, some general hadiths may support this meaning. But we should understand from it what I mentioned earlier regarding the hadith of Jabir and what it indicates about centering behind the imam, so that there is no exaggeration to the right or left. I think the result should be like this, based on the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) pushing these two men behind him. If a third person came and stood on the right, and if a fourth person came, he would stand on the left. And at that time, the solution would be right, left, right, left until the row is completed from both sides. Also, the practice of the Muslims in placing the mihrabs in the middle of the mosques indicates this, even though these mihrabs have no basis in the Sunnah, but in any case, they indicate that the position where the imam stands to lead people in prayer is in the middle of the mosque. If this meaning is also noted, we understand that the rule should be as we mentioned: right, left, right, left until the row is completed from both sides.