Is it prescribed for the imam to straighten the row if one of its ends is longer?
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The questioner : When the ma'mum line up for prayer, sometimes the side to the north is longer than the side to the right, or vice versa. Is it prescribed for the imam to direct them to adjust?
The Shaykh : Yes, meaning he asks: If the row to the imam's right is longer than the one to his left, or vice versa, is it prescribed for the imam to say to the extra people: "Come here"?
I say: Yes, because it is prescribed that the imam be in the middle. The evidence for this is that it is established in Sahih Muslim and others that when the ma'mum were three in the beginning, the imam would be in the middle of them. Then this was abrogated, and the three would stand with the imam in front of them. The indication is that they would not be to his right, meaning the two would not be to his right, nor to his left, but rather he would be between them. Also, he is an imam and is commanded to be just, and it is not justice for one side to be far and the other close. Also, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not say, "Complete the rightmost, then the rightmost." If the rightmost had been absolutely superior, he would have said, "Complete the rightmost, then the rightmost," just as he said regarding the first row: "Complete the first, then the first."
The Shaykh : Yes, meaning he asks: If the row to the imam's right is longer than the one to his left, or vice versa, is it prescribed for the imam to say to the extra people: "Come here"?
I say: Yes, because it is prescribed that the imam be in the middle. The evidence for this is that it is established in Sahih Muslim and others that when the ma'mum were three in the beginning, the imam would be in the middle of them. Then this was abrogated, and the three would stand with the imam in front of them. The indication is that they would not be to his right, meaning the two would not be to his right, nor to his left, but rather he would be between them. Also, he is an imam and is commanded to be just, and it is not justice for one side to be far and the other close. Also, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not say, "Complete the rightmost, then the rightmost." If the rightmost had been absolutely superior, he would have said, "Complete the rightmost, then the rightmost," just as he said regarding the first row: "Complete the first, then the first."