What is the ruling on a man praying alone behind the rows? And what is the ruling on one who lines up in a row containing children, while the row in front of him is not complete?

The questioner : Well, regarding the one who prays alone behind the rows, this happened to me in one of the mosques. The first and second rows were not complete and contained children. So he came and prayed with the children and left a gap in the mosque. Does the hadith apply to him that he prayed alone?

The Shaykh : In this case, a child is pulled back.

The questioner : There are children praying in the second row.

The Shaykh : In this case, a child is pulled back and placed in his position. Do you not understand what I am saying?

The questioner : It appears that the question was not understood.

The Shaykh : It is permissible. Please, go ahead.

The questioner : The first row is not complete.

The Shaykh : And the second row?

The questioner : It contains children, so he prayed with the children.

The Shaykh : And the first row was not completed?

The questioner : This is the one who came and prayed with the children, and he sees that there is a gap.

The Shaykh : This has already been discussed. The one whose prayer is accepted if he prays alone is the one who exerted his effort and was unable to join the row. Did this man exert his effort to join? It has already been discussed.
Wafi: Our brother’s question is whether joining the children counts as joining the row.

The Shaykh : No, that is not his question. If that were his question, he would have said the first row is complete. And that is what I understood first; therefore, I said to pull one back to take his place.

The questioner : Where does he pull him from?

The Shaykh : But he says that the first row... I am with you now. He says the first row is not complete, but the second row is complete with the boys.

The questioner : It is not complete with the boys.
Wafi: I mean, there are some boys.

The Shaykh : It is not complete?

The questioner : No, it is not complete.

The Shaykh : Well, this is easier, in the sense that he is able to complete the first row, which is easier than if the second row were complete.

The questioner : But he is a row with the boys and he prayed his prayer. He did not fill the gap, O Shaykh. I mean, he did not pray in the first row; he prayed in a row with the boys. I mean, is he considered to be alone in the row here?

The Shaykh : I mean, he did not pray alone?

The questioner : No, he prayed with the boys.

The Shaykh : This is like the one who prays in the pillar.

The questioner : It happened, O Shaykh, in a mosque of ours, and I told him to repeat his prayer.

The Shaykh : Based on what?

The questioner : Based on the fact that he prayed alone because he found a gap in the row...

The Shaykh : He did not pray alone.

The questioner : He considered the boys to be nothing.

The Shaykh : He did not count the boys with him.
Al-Halabi : He deducted them from the count, O our Shaykh.
Wafi: But I say we laughed at the answer.The Shaykh : Regarding the question of the one who prayed in the pillar, and I am sure that most of us do not know the intended meaning.The Shaykh .

Another questioner : Their prayer is valid, but they are sinful.

The Shaykh : Yes, that is so.
Wafi: ...

The Shaykh : This is an accusation that must be withdrawn.

The questioner : Now, is there a text prohibiting the pulling of one person from the first row?

The Shaykh : Is there a text prohibiting the pulling, or commanding it? Commanding the pulling or prohibiting the pulling?

The questioner : Yes, I mean, now he came to the row and found it complete. As you mentioned, his prayer alone is permissible. But many people do not think that he should try to pull you. Now, if you say your prayer is permissible behind the row because there is no gap, he will say to you, "My brother, everyone will tell you to pull." How can one respond to him in this matter, regarding the pulling?

The Shaykh : The pulling is based on a weak hadith, but we do not have a prohibition against pulling. Are you asking about the prohibition?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Yes, but the prohibition is derived from the general principles. Those who say to pull someone so that he does not pray alone in the row argue with a hadith narrated by Abu Ya'la in his Musnad with a weak chain that does not constitute proof. This pulling has a weak hadith, and a weak hadith does not establish a legal ruling in the first place. Then, resulting from this pulling is a harm, which is the disruption of the row in front of him. From here comes the prohibition you want to ask about. But this is a derived prohibition and not a text from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).

The questioner : Breaking the row, O Shaykh. The idea of breaking the row when one pulls; does it break a row as well?

The Shaykh : This is the disruption of the row.