The Preference in Prayer: Toward the Right Row or the Left?
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If a person attends the prayer, is it better to come to the end of the row on the right, or to the garden on the left?
First: The word (garden) has no basis,And the saying of the common people: The idea that the garden is what is behind the imam, or to his right, or to his left, and close to him, has no basis.
The brother asks: Is the right side better absolutely, meaning: from the row, or if it is far, is the left better than it if it is closer?Answer: The left is better if it is closer to the imam,And the evidence for that is: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not say: Complete the right, then the right,Rather, He said: (Complete the first, then the first) And therefore we say regarding the first and second: the first is better than the second, even if the second is behind the imam and the first is at the end of the row, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) commanded us to complete the first, then the first,As for the right, he did not say: Complete the right, then the right,And if the right were better absolutely, he would have said: Complete the right, then the right,And on this basis, we say: If the right and left are close, the right is better, and if the right and left are equal, the right is better, but with distance, the left is better; this is due to its nearness to the imam, and nearness to the imam is considered in the Shari'ah.
And this is also indicated by the fact that the Muslims, in the beginning, when they were three, would form one row, with one of them to the right of the imam and the second to his left, then this was abrogated so that the imam would stand in front when they were three, so this indicates that if the right and left are equal, the right is better, otherwise the left is better. If the right were better absolutely, the three would stand such that the two are to the right of the imam. This is a matter that is hidden from many students of knowledge, let alone the common people. In some mosques, you find the right row is almost full and the left has only one or two, and this is a mistake,This is if we say that his saying: The middle of the imam is weak, but if we say that it is good, then there is no dispute between two people about it originally. The right is better if the right and left are equal or close, a difference of one or two people, but if the difference is clear, the left is better.
First: The word (garden) has no basis,And the saying of the common people: The idea that the garden is what is behind the imam, or to his right, or to his left, and close to him, has no basis.
The brother asks: Is the right side better absolutely, meaning: from the row, or if it is far, is the left better than it if it is closer?Answer: The left is better if it is closer to the imam,And the evidence for that is: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not say: Complete the right, then the right,Rather, He said: (Complete the first, then the first) And therefore we say regarding the first and second: the first is better than the second, even if the second is behind the imam and the first is at the end of the row, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) commanded us to complete the first, then the first,As for the right, he did not say: Complete the right, then the right,And if the right were better absolutely, he would have said: Complete the right, then the right,And on this basis, we say: If the right and left are close, the right is better, and if the right and left are equal, the right is better, but with distance, the left is better; this is due to its nearness to the imam, and nearness to the imam is considered in the Shari'ah.
And this is also indicated by the fact that the Muslims, in the beginning, when they were three, would form one row, with one of them to the right of the imam and the second to his left, then this was abrogated so that the imam would stand in front when they were three, so this indicates that if the right and left are equal, the right is better, otherwise the left is better. If the right were better absolutely, the three would stand such that the two are to the right of the imam. This is a matter that is hidden from many students of knowledge, let alone the common people. In some mosques, you find the right row is almost full and the left has only one or two, and this is a mistake,This is if we say that his saying: The middle of the imam is weak, but if we say that it is good, then there is no dispute between two people about it originally. The right is better if the right and left are equal or close, a difference of one or two people, but if the difference is clear, the left is better.