He says in his letter: I prayed the Friday prayer in one of the mosques and I was in the second row, so after the first unit of prayer ended, I saw that there was a space in the first row

The questioner : This letter was sent by a listener from Riyadh al-Khabirah in al-Qasim. He says in his letter, and his name is Faisal ibn Khalaf al-Harbi: I prayed the Friday prayer in one of the mosques and I was in the second row, so after the first unit of prayer ended, I saw that there was a space in the first row that could fit a man, so I moved forward after the first unit and completed the prayer in the first row. Is the prayer valid? Please inform us, and thank you.

The Shaykh : Yes, the prayer is valid. If you were in the second row and you saw a gap in front of you in the row ahead of you, it is prescribed that you move forward to it, because this is part of the completion of the prayer. Closing the gaps in the rows is something the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded, and it is one of the things that complete the prayer, because it is part of straightening the rows. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So there is no blame on you; rather, it is better for you to move forward if you see a gap in front of you, even if you are in your prayer. Your prayer in this situation is valid and not invalid.

The questioner : Yes.