Does this mean the utmost closeness, and does this indicate exaggeration in doing so?

The questioner : The questioner says: In Sahih al-Bukhari, there is a report from al-Nu'man ibn Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) to the effect that: "one of the Companions would place his knee against the knee of another Companion and his ankle against his ankle" Does this mean the utmost closeness, or does this indicate exaggeration in doing so?

The Shaykh : Yes, this is the hadith the questioner referred to, in the chapter on straightening the rows. Straightening the rows is something the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded and warned against violating, meaning violating the straightening. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This means one of two things is necessary: either straightening the rows or the discrepancy between the faces. The intended meaning of the discrepancy between the faces is the discrepancy between the hearts; the hearts differ, the people's orientations differ, opinions clash, and ideas repel one another. There is no doubt that if the community is afflicted with such a thing, it will become divided. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded straightening the rows, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would place a man's ankle against his brother's ankle and his shoulder against his shoulder to achieve straightening and compactness. This is because the follower in prayer is commanded to do both: to be compact and to straighten the rows. So the Companions did this to achieve straightening. The closeness itself is not intended for its own sake, but it is intended for the sake of something else. When straightening and the compactness that fills the gaps are achieved, the objective is attained. Here is a matter in which some people err. You find a man placing his ankle against his brother's ankle while spreading his feet, meaning he spreads his feet until you find this man compact with his brother in his lower body, but there is a gap between them in his upper body. There is no doubt that the Sunnah does not come with this, and the Sunnah did not come with such a thing. Rather, the intention is that the praying person compacts his brother so that he places his ankle against his ankle and his shoulder against his shoulder without spreading his feet. Therefore, we should, and I always repeat this, understand what the Shari'ah says. Did the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), when one of them would place his ankle against his brother's ankle and his shoulder against his shoulder, does each of them spread his legs until the space between his feet opens up like the opening we see from some people? No, rather they compact themselves until the ankle touches the ankle and the shoulder touches the shoulder in order to achieve what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded of straightening and compactness.