If you enter the mosque and the first row is already full, do you pull someone to pray with you in the second row, or do you pray alone in the second row?
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The questioner : If you enter the mosque and the first row is already full, do you pull someone to pray with you in the second row, or do you pray alone in the second row?
The Shaykh : If the hadith about pulling a man from the first row so that he does not pray alone in the second row were authentic, it would be obligatory to act upon it. However, its chain of narration is not authentic, as I have explained in some sources and some of the books I have authored. Perhaps one of them is my recently published book, *Irwaa al-Ghalaal fi Takhrij Ahadith Manaa al-Sabeel*. In fact, I now clearly recall that I traced it in the second volume of *Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Da'ifah wa al-Mawdu'ah*. Since this hadith is not authentic, the person who enters the mosque and finds the row in front of him—and I do not mean specifically the first row, but any row in front of him—to be full, is in one of two situations. The first is that he should try to join the row in front of him. This is usually possible in this time, when the masses of worshippers have turned away from observing the recommended practices, and even the obligatory matters befitting prayer, such as closing the gaps in the rows. Because the majority of them neglect this closing of gaps, the person entering the mosque who finds the row in front of him full will not fail to find a space, even if it is by signaling to a worshipper next to him to make room for him. Therefore, what the person entering the mosque should do is try to join the row in front of him.
If he is unable to do so, either because the people are tightly packed in the rows—though this is rare—or because some of the worshippers do not yield, neither by hand nor by shoulder, to the one who wants to join the row beside them, then if he is unable to connect and join the row in front of him and stands alone in the row behind it, his prayer is valid. This is because the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): is limited to the scope of ability and capacity, as is the case with all acts of worship. We know, for example, that standing in the obligatory prayer is a pillar of the prayer. If a person prays sitting while he is able to stand, his prayer is not valid. But if he is unable to stand, he sits, as he (peace be upon him) said: Sunan Abi Dawud 952Sahih (Al-Albani).
Similarly, the case of the one who prays behind the row alone, in the situation where he was unable to join the row in front of him, is that he has done his duty. So he prays in the row alone. The hadith: is applied to the one who is lax and to the one who turns away from this legal ruling, as many people do, especially the mu'adhdhins who do not join the rows and the congregation, but rather pray alone in a place by themselves on the ground or upper platform.
It is to these people that the statement of the invalidity of their prayer is directed. As for a man who enters the mosque and tries to join the row but is unable to, and no one comes to join him, he prays alone and[Al-Baqarah 2:286]. This is the opinion of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him).
Other than that?
The Shaykh : If the hadith about pulling a man from the first row so that he does not pray alone in the second row were authentic, it would be obligatory to act upon it. However, its chain of narration is not authentic, as I have explained in some sources and some of the books I have authored. Perhaps one of them is my recently published book, *Irwaa al-Ghalaal fi Takhrij Ahadith Manaa al-Sabeel*. In fact, I now clearly recall that I traced it in the second volume of *Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Da'ifah wa al-Mawdu'ah*. Since this hadith is not authentic, the person who enters the mosque and finds the row in front of him—and I do not mean specifically the first row, but any row in front of him—to be full, is in one of two situations. The first is that he should try to join the row in front of him. This is usually possible in this time, when the masses of worshippers have turned away from observing the recommended practices, and even the obligatory matters befitting prayer, such as closing the gaps in the rows. Because the majority of them neglect this closing of gaps, the person entering the mosque who finds the row in front of him full will not fail to find a space, even if it is by signaling to a worshipper next to him to make room for him. Therefore, what the person entering the mosque should do is try to join the row in front of him.
If he is unable to do so, either because the people are tightly packed in the rows—though this is rare—or because some of the worshippers do not yield, neither by hand nor by shoulder, to the one who wants to join the row beside them, then if he is unable to connect and join the row in front of him and stands alone in the row behind it, his prayer is valid. This is because the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
There is no prayer for the one who prays alone in a row
لا صلاة لِمَن صلى في الصف وحدهoffer prayer in standing condition; if you are unable to do so, then in sitting condition: if you are then at your side
صَلِّ قائمًا ، فإن لم تستطع فقاعدًا ، فإن لم تستطع فعلى جنبSimilarly, the case of the one who prays behind the row alone, in the situation where he was unable to join the row in front of him, is that he has done his duty. So he prays in the row alone. The hadith:
There is no prayer for the one who prays behind the row alone
لا صلاة لِمَن صلى وراء الصف وحدهIt is to these people that the statement of the invalidity of their prayer is directed. As for a man who enters the mosque and tries to join the row but is unable to, and no one comes to join him, he prays alone and
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَاOther than that?
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.