And prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.

The reader: And may prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions:
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) quoted, in the context of the hadiths in the chapter on the virtue of the front row and the command to complete the front rows, straighten them, and stand close together:
"From al-Bara' ibn 'Azib (may Allah be pleased with both of them), who said:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pass between the rows from one end to the other, touching our chest and shoulders (i.e., arranging the rows) in line and saying, "Do not be out of line; otherwise your hearts will be in disagreement". He would add, "Allah and His angels invoke blessings upon the first rows."

كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يتخلل الصف من ناحية إلى ناحية، يمسح صدورنا ومناكبنا، ويقول : لا تختلفوا فتختلف قلوبكم، وكان يقول : إن الله وملائكته يصلون على الصفوف الأول

Riyad as-Salihin 1090

Abu Dawud narrated it with a good chain.
And from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Arrange the rows in order, stand shoulder to shoulder, close the gaps, be accommodating to your brothers, and do not leave gaps for Satan. Whoever joins up a row, he will be joined to Allah (i.e., to the Mercy of Allah); and whoever cuts off a row, he will be cut off from Allah (i.e., from His Mercy).

أقيموا الصفوف، وحاذوا بين المناكب، وسدوا الخلل، ولِينوا بأيدي إخوانكم، ولا تذروا فرجات للشيطان، ومن وصل صفاً وصله الله، ومن قطع صفاً قطعه الله

Riyad as-Salihin 1091

Abu Dawud narrated it with an authentic chain.
And from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Stand close together in your rows, bring them near one another, and stand neck to neck, for by Him in Whose hand my soul is, I see the devil coming in through openings in the row just like a small black sheep.

رُصّوا صفوفكم وقاربوا بينها، وحاذوا بالأعناق، فوالذي نفسي بيده إني لأرى الشيطان يدخل من خلل الصف، كأنها الحَذَف

Sunan Abi Dawud 667Sahih (Al-Albani)

This is an authentic hadith, narrated by Abu Dawud with a chain meeting the conditions of Muslim."

The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
These hadiths are in the completion of this chapter, which explains the virtue of the front row and the completion of the first row, then the next, among the rows. Indeed, in these hadiths there is evidence for several issues:
First: That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to straighten the chests and shoulders of his Companions to align their rows, and he would say: . And he (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) would move through the rows from one side to the other, straightening them with his noble hand. This was his custom. When the people increased in the time of the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), and the time of 'Uthman, there were men appointed by the Caliph to straighten the rows. When they came to the imam and said, "The rows are complete and perfected," they would say the takbir for prayer. This is evidence of the care of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs for the rows, standing close together, straightening them, and not leaving openings for Satan, so that the prayer is complete and aligned. Indeed, straightening the rows is part of the completion of the prayer and the establishment of the prayer. May Allah grant success.