3 Important Hadiths and Rulings Regarding Row Formation in Prayer
① Punishment for Breaking the Row
Hadith:
Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنهما narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Straighten the rows, align the shoulders, fill in the gaps in the rows, be gentle in the hands of your brothers, and do not leave any space for Shayṭān. Whoever joins the row, Allah will join him (in His mercy), and whoever cuts the row, Allah will cut him off (from His mercy).”
(Abu Dawud: 666 — authenticated by Imām Ḥākim, Imām Ibn Khuzaymah, Imām Dhahabī, and Imām Nawawī)
Explanation:
- “Be gentle in the hands of your brothers” means cooperate politely if someone moves you forward or backward to align the row.
- If someone leaves the row, another person should fill the gap to complete it, gaining Allah’s mercy.
- Intentionally leaving gaps or standing far apart is considered “cutting the row,” which deprives one of Allah’s mercy.
- The follower should always align towards the imam; if alone, the fault is on him, not the row.
- Overstretching the legs to connect the row is discouraged; proper alignment should be from the imam’s direction.
② Ruling on Praying Alone Behind the Row
Hadith:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw a man praying alone behind the row and instructed that he repeat his prayer.
(Abu Dawud, Prayer, Chapter: A Man Praying Alone Behind the Row, Hadith: 682 — authenticated by Ibn Ḥibbān, Ahmad, Isḥāq, and Ibn Ḥazm)
Shaykh ‘Abdul ‘Aziz ibn Bāz رحمه الله explained:
- If one arrives for prayer and the row is full, he should wait until another person joins (even a child aged 7+), forming a row together.
- If no one comes, he should stand to the imam’s right side.
- It is not allowed to pull someone from the row to stand with him, as it creates a gap — and the Prophet ﷺ commanded filling the gaps.
(Fatāwā Islāmiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 453)
③ Rows Between the Pillars
Hadith:
Sayyiduna Anas رضي الله عنه said:
“In the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, we used to avoid making rows between the pillars.”
(Abu Dawud, Prayer, Chapter: Rows Between the Pillars, Hadith: 672 — graded ḥasan by Imām Tirmidhī, and ṣaḥīḥ by Imām Ḥākim and Ḥāfiẓ Dhahabī)
Explanation:
- This shows that the Companions avoided standing between the pillars as it disturbed the alignment and uniformity of the rows, disrupting the discipline of the congregation.
