The non-obligatory nature of touching heels in prayer
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Does aligning the rows require the feet to be touching such that there is no gap between them, or is mere alignment sufficient?
It is obligatory to align, but the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would have one of them place his heel against his brother's heel and his shoulder against his shoulder to achieve two things: alignment and straightening.
As for what some observers do now, where they spread their legs apart until they touch their brother's heel, and sometimes bend their leg so that the heel is touching the heel, but they strain in bending their leg, this has no basis in the Sunnah, and it is a mistaken and erroneous understanding; because we have seen them spread their legs until they touch, but there is a gap between their shoulders, so it looks like pyramids, wide at the bottom and narrow at the top. Where did this come from? If we understand the text, it says to place the heel against the heel and the shoulder against the shoulder, so this contradicts the action. Therefore, we warn our brothers, the young students of knowledge, against rushing to understand the texts in a way that contradicts the intent of Allah and His Messenger.And we say: Look to the scholars who are older than you and stronger in their understanding of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger.
The questioner: If the feet do not touch, this is permissible.
The Shaykh: Yes; the permissibility is that it is permissible, but there should not be a gap, because if you touch shoulder to shoulder, the legs may be closed together and close to each other, and this does not harm.
It is obligatory to align, but the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would have one of them place his heel against his brother's heel and his shoulder against his shoulder to achieve two things: alignment and straightening.
As for what some observers do now, where they spread their legs apart until they touch their brother's heel, and sometimes bend their leg so that the heel is touching the heel, but they strain in bending their leg, this has no basis in the Sunnah, and it is a mistaken and erroneous understanding; because we have seen them spread their legs until they touch, but there is a gap between their shoulders, so it looks like pyramids, wide at the bottom and narrow at the top. Where did this come from? If we understand the text, it says to place the heel against the heel and the shoulder against the shoulder, so this contradicts the action. Therefore, we warn our brothers, the young students of knowledge, against rushing to understand the texts in a way that contradicts the intent of Allah and His Messenger.And we say: Look to the scholars who are older than you and stronger in their understanding of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger.
The questioner: If the feet do not touch, this is permissible.
The Shaykh: Yes; the permissibility is that it is permissible, but there should not be a gap, because if you touch shoulder to shoulder, the legs may be closed together and close to each other, and this does not harm.