excerpt from “Ṣaff Bandi ke Aḥkām wa Masā’il” by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri:
Is a Four-Finger Gap Between the Feet in Qiyām (Standing) Sunnah?
Maintaining a four-finger gap between the feet during qiyām (the standing posture in prayer) is a bidʿah (innovation).
There is no evidence for this practice in the Sharīʿah of Islam.
✅ The Sharīʿah emphasizes the straightening of rows.
One can only truly follow the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ and the understanding and practice of the noble Companions if each worshipper in the row stands:
❖ With feet aligned shoulder-width apart,
❖ Such that the feet can touch those of the adjacent person on either side.
However, if a person deliberately maintains only a four-finger gap between his feet, then:
❖ It becomes impossible to join feet with the person next to him,
❖ Which contradicts the prophetic guidance on aligning rows and standing close.
❖ However, it is mentioned in some authoritative Ḥanafī fiqh books:
يسن تفريج القدمين في القيام قدر أربع أصابع
“It is Sunnah to keep a distance of four fingers between the feet during qiyām (standing).”
📚 [Marāqī al-Falāḥ, p. 262 | Radd al-Muḥtār: 1/444 | Fatāwā ʿĀlamgīriyyah: 1/73 | Nūr al-Īḍāḥ, p. 56 | Tabyīn al-Ḥaqā’iq: 1/114 | Imdād al-Aḥkām: 1/466]
Conclusion:
The claim that men and women should maintain a four-finger gap between their feet during qiyām is baseless.
This opinion:
❌ Contradicts the authentic aḥādīth of the Prophet ﷺ,
❌ Opposes the unanimous practice of the Companions,
❌ Goes against the understanding of the pious predecessors (Salaf).
