Narrated AbdulHamid ibn Mahmud: I offered the Friday prayer along with Anas ibn Malik. We were pushed to the pillars (due to the crowd of people). We, therefore, stopped forward and backward. Anas then said: We used to avoid it (setting a row between the pillars) during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Hadith Referenceسنن ابي داود / تفرح أبواب الصفوف / 673
Hadith Gradingالألبانی:صحيح | زبیر علی زئی:إسناده صحيح, الثوري صرح بالسماع عند البيھقي (3/104) والحاكم (1/210، 218)
Hadith Takhrij« سنن الترمذی/الصلاة 55 (229)، سنن النسائی/الإمامة 33 (822)، (تحفة الأشراف: 980)، وقد أخرجہ: مسند احمد (3/131) (صحیح) »
Since the row is interrupted because of the pillars, it is therefore not permissible.
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
673. Commentary: Since the row is interrupted because of the pillars, it is not permissible. However, if due to severe crowding and a large multitude of people, no other place is available, then it is permitted out of necessity, but one should avoid it as much as possible.
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 673
´Abdul-Hamid bin Mahmud said:` "We prayed behind one of the Amirs, the people compelled us such that we prayed between two columns. When we had prayed, Anas bin Malik said: 'We would be prevented from this during the time of Allah's Messenger.'"
Shaykh Dr. Abdur Rahman Freywai
Commentary: 1: That is, such a crowd gathered that there was no space left in the mosque, so we were compelled to stand between the two pillars.
2: If there is a necessity, then the row may be formed between the pillars; otherwise, in normal circumstances, this should be avoided.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi – Majlis ‘Ilmi Dar al-Da‘wah, New Delhi Edition, Page: 229