Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah

Imam Abu Bakr, may Allah have mercy on him, says that in the narrations of Hazrat Wabisah bin Ma’bad, these words are found: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a man praying alone behind the row, so he ordered him to repeat the prayer. Some of our companions among the hadith scholars and some jurists who follow the school of Iraq have taken as their proof for the validity of the prayer of a person standing alone behind the row an evidence which has no real connection or similarity to this issue. They have taken proof from the hadith of Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that he and a woman prayed behind the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) stand on his right side and the woman stand behind him. Therefore, these people say that when it is permissible for a woman to stand alone behind the row, then it should also be permissible for a man to pray alone behind the row. In my view, this reasoning is incorrect. Because when a woman is alone and there is no other woman with her, the method of her prayer is that she stands alone behind the row. It is not permissible for her to stand with the imam, nor is it correct for her to join the row of men. Whereas the method for a single male follower is that he stands on the right side of the imam, and if they are more in number, then they stand in a row behind the imam until the first row is completed, and it is not correct for a single follower to pray standing behind the imam. There is no difference of opinion among the people of knowledge in this matter that if someone does this and stands alone behind the imam, while another follower is already standing on the right side of the imam, then this act of his will be against the Sunnah, even though there is a difference among them regarding the obligation to repeat the prayer. Whereas if a woman stands alone behind the row and there is no other woman or group of women with her, then she has done what she has been commanded to do, and this is her method of standing. And when a man stands alone behind the row, he has violated his method of prayer, because his method is to join the row and form a row with the followers. So how can it be possible that the act of a man, which he has been prohibited from and which is against his method of prayer, be similar to the act of a woman, which she has been commanded to do and which is her Sunnah and method when she is alone and stands behind the row? Therefore, those who liken the prohibited act to the commanded act are clearly negligent, because they have made an analogy between two opposite actions, considering a prohibited act similar to a commanded act. So reflect on these words. With the help of Allah Almighty, our proof will become clear to you. In this matter, our opponents, the people of Iraq, hold the view that if a woman stands in the row with men, where men have been commanded to stand, then that woman will invalidate the prayer of the men praying to her right, left, and behind her. Whereas, according to them, a man has been commanded to stand in the row with men. So how can the act of this man be similar to the act of a woman, that if she does the (prohibited) act, she invalidates the prayer of three people, but if a man does the same prohibited act, not even the prayer of one person is invalidated?