How do we respond to those who deny the straightening of the rows?

The Shaykh : I have finished responding to him briefly in the new edition of the first volume of "Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah," and this was as a correction at the end of the book, because the book had already been printed, and all that remained was, meaning, its binding and the like. The important thing is that he made a very serious error when he rejected the two hadiths: the hadith of Anas ibn Malik and the hadith of al-Nu'man ibn Bashir. As for the hadith of Anas ibn Malik, he omitted mentioning it entirely and did not address it at all, whereas it is in "Sahih al-Bukhari" and is more authentic than the hadith of al-Nu'man ibn Bashir, which contains the knot that led him to reject the two authentic hadiths through a figurative interpretation, just as the scholars of theology do with the verses of attributes and the hadiths of attributes: they believe in their wording but disbelieve in their meanings. And as you know, words are molds for meanings, so if we reject these meanings, what is the benefit of believing in the words without the meanings? This, unfortunately, is what the honorable Shaykh, who is our companion and friend, has fallen into. But the truth is that we are his truest friends, more so than anyone else. Therefore, regarding the straightening of the rows by aligning the shoulders and also the feet, I mentioned in the conclusion of this response that this Sunnah, indeed this obligatory duty, has been neglected by women entirely, except for a rare few. So I drew the women's attention to the fact that they are the counterparts of men, as he (peace be upon him) said, even if not on this occasion. Therefore, they should pay attention to straightening the rows just as the men do, completely. And the men who hold fast to the Sunnah and are eager to preserve it: there is no difference between standing at the beginning of the prayer at the takbir and no difference between the subsequent rak'ahs. And I gave an example of this: the upright posture from the bowing and from the prostration. We all know that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered this, and that he used to separate his sides until his Companions feared for him. And this is the exaggeration upon which the Shaykh relied in denying the straightening of the rows. May Allah guide us and him. Perhaps you have received the answer and more. And this is my problem: when I am asked a question at a time other than the time for questions, I turn away from the research and scrutiny I was engaged in. So if I tell you that now is not the time for questions, perhaps you will find an excuse for me.

The questioner: By Allah, please forgive me, O Shaykh. May Allah reward you with good. But the issue is, as I mentioned, the tarawih prayer is, meaning, after how many hours, when some of the sisters, poor things, have some difficulty standing, so when they stand for the second or third rak'ah, they have no objection to leaving a gap between their feet.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : May Allah reward you. No harm, forgive me. It was a question, meaning, rushed and out of time. But even so, I wanted to know the response, and so that we follow, we should be on clear knowledge.

The Shaykh : Fine, and on top of that, I say.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : And on top of that, I tell you: may Allah reward you with good for your concern for the Sunnah.

The questioner: By Allah, I hope in Allah. May Allah help us, O Lord. May Allah open the way for us, if Allah wills.

The Shaykh : If Allah wills.

The questioner: May Allah reward you with good, our honorable Shaykh.

The Shaykh : And may Allah protect you, if Allah wills.

The questioner: For Umm al-Fadl.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner: My greetings to Umm al-Fadl. May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : If you want it, I will give it to you; otherwise, we will convey it to her.