How the feet of the worshippers should be close together in prayer.
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The questioner : I ask your eminence to clarify the correct legal ruling regarding keeping one's feet close to those of the person praying next to one.
The Shaykh : Touching the legs?
The questioner : Keeping the feet close to those of the person praying next to one.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The feet relative to the person praying next to one.
The Shaykh : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), when they stood in the rows, would place the heel of one against the heel of his neighbor, and his shoulder against his shoulder, or his shoulder joint against his shoulder joint, for two purposes. The first purpose is to achieve alignment.
The second purpose is to close the gaps. Placing the heel against the heel is not intended for its own sake, but rather for the sake of something else, which is achieving alignment and compactness. Based on this, it becomes clear that what some people do now, where they spread their legs and turn the leg as well in order for the heels to touch, has no basis. The Companions did not say that a man would spread his legs so that his heel would touch his companion's heel; rather, they said that they would stand compactly, so much so that one of them would touch his companion's heel with his own. However, some people do not take the time to understand the texts until they know what is intended. Otherwise, no one can claim that the meaning is that a man spreads his legs while the upper part of his body remains apart. This is impossible, and no one says this. Yes.
The Shaykh : Touching the legs?
The questioner : Keeping the feet close to those of the person praying next to one.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The feet relative to the person praying next to one.
The Shaykh : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), when they stood in the rows, would place the heel of one against the heel of his neighbor, and his shoulder against his shoulder, or his shoulder joint against his shoulder joint, for two purposes. The first purpose is to achieve alignment.
The second purpose is to close the gaps. Placing the heel against the heel is not intended for its own sake, but rather for the sake of something else, which is achieving alignment and compactness. Based on this, it becomes clear that what some people do now, where they spread their legs and turn the leg as well in order for the heels to touch, has no basis. The Companions did not say that a man would spread his legs so that his heel would touch his companion's heel; rather, they said that they would stand compactly, so much so that one of them would touch his companion's heel with his own. However, some people do not take the time to understand the texts until they know what is intended. Otherwise, no one can claim that the meaning is that a man spreads his legs while the upper part of his body remains apart. This is impossible, and no one says this. Yes.