Aligning the rows in prayer
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The honorable Shaykh, is the intended meaning of the imam's saying: (Straighten your rows and stand in proper alignment) does this mean the straightness and alignment of the row, or does it include closing the gaps and placing foot by foot and shoulder by shoulder? And what is the authenticity of the hadith reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: (Straighten your rows, or Allah will cause your faces to differ) This issue has become one of either negligence or excess, so we ask for clarification, and may Allah preserve you?
First: We must know that the imam has a responsibility, which is to straighten the rows by ordering the people to do so. If they do not comply, he himself goes forward to the one who is behind the row or ahead of it to correct him. This is because our Prophet, our imam, and our role model, Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), used to straighten the rows as if he were straightening arrows. He would pass by the row, rubbing the shoulders and chests, and ordering them to stand in alignment. I do not know if people do this today or not? In fact, if people see an imam doing this, they might shout at him. But the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is more deserving of being followed. The important thing is that the imam must pay attention to straightening the rows. He should look to the right and face the people with his face,And he looks to the left and says: saying: "Straighten up, straighten your rows, do not differ lest your hearts differ, stand close together, close the gaps." All these words were reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went out one day after the people had understood from him the straightening of the rows, and they began to straighten them. He saw a man whose chest was protruding—advancing a little—So he said: (O servants of Allah! Straighten your rows, or Allah will cause discord between your faces) This is an authentic hadith, and it contains a warning.
And regarding Allah causing discord between the faces, two meanings have been mentioned: The first meaning: either Allah turns the person's face so that his face is toward his shoulder—may Allah protect us from that.
The second meaning: That the intended meaning is that Allah will cause discord between your viewpoints, so the hearts will separate and differ,Regarding His saying: (Do not differ lest your hearts differ) And whatever the case may be, whether He turns the neck so that the face is to the side of the body, or the intended meaning is the difference of hearts, it is all a severe warning. This indicates that it is obligatory for the imam to pay attention to straightening the row, but if he looks and finds the row straight, close together, and equal in position, does he say: "Straighten up" or not? It appears to me that he does not say it,Meaning: for example, if there are only two men behind him and he looks and finds them equal, close together, and in the desired position, there is no need for him to say: "Straighten up"; because this word has its meaning and is not a casual word.So if the imam says: If he says "Straighten up" and sees that they have not straightened, he must repeat the command and not say the takbir until the rows are straight.
Did you not know that the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and likewise 'Uthman, when the people increased, appointed a deputy to pass by the rows and straighten them?Until he comes and says: "When they are straight, say the takbir."
All this indicates the care of the Shari'ah for straightening the row. Placing foot by foot and shoulder by shoulder is for two reasons: The first reason: straightening.
The second matter: Closing the gaps and breaches; because if you open a gap between you and the one next to you, the devils come and enter through these gaps and confuse the people's prayers.
First: We must know that the imam has a responsibility, which is to straighten the rows by ordering the people to do so. If they do not comply, he himself goes forward to the one who is behind the row or ahead of it to correct him. This is because our Prophet, our imam, and our role model, Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), used to straighten the rows as if he were straightening arrows. He would pass by the row, rubbing the shoulders and chests, and ordering them to stand in alignment. I do not know if people do this today or not? In fact, if people see an imam doing this, they might shout at him. But the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is more deserving of being followed. The important thing is that the imam must pay attention to straightening the rows. He should look to the right and face the people with his face,And he looks to the left and says: saying: "Straighten up, straighten your rows, do not differ lest your hearts differ, stand close together, close the gaps." All these words were reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went out one day after the people had understood from him the straightening of the rows, and they began to straighten them. He saw a man whose chest was protruding—advancing a little—So he said: (O servants of Allah! Straighten your rows, or Allah will cause discord between your faces) This is an authentic hadith, and it contains a warning.
And regarding Allah causing discord between the faces, two meanings have been mentioned: The first meaning: either Allah turns the person's face so that his face is toward his shoulder—may Allah protect us from that.
The second meaning: That the intended meaning is that Allah will cause discord between your viewpoints, so the hearts will separate and differ,Regarding His saying: (Do not differ lest your hearts differ) And whatever the case may be, whether He turns the neck so that the face is to the side of the body, or the intended meaning is the difference of hearts, it is all a severe warning. This indicates that it is obligatory for the imam to pay attention to straightening the row, but if he looks and finds the row straight, close together, and equal in position, does he say: "Straighten up" or not? It appears to me that he does not say it,Meaning: for example, if there are only two men behind him and he looks and finds them equal, close together, and in the desired position, there is no need for him to say: "Straighten up"; because this word has its meaning and is not a casual word.So if the imam says: If he says "Straighten up" and sees that they have not straightened, he must repeat the command and not say the takbir until the rows are straight.
Did you not know that the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and likewise 'Uthman, when the people increased, appointed a deputy to pass by the rows and straighten them?Until he comes and says: "When they are straight, say the takbir."
All this indicates the care of the Shari'ah for straightening the row. Placing foot by foot and shoulder by shoulder is for two reasons: The first reason: straightening.
The second matter: Closing the gaps and breaches; because if you open a gap between you and the one next to you, the devils come and enter through these gaps and confuse the people's prayers.