Source: Ṣaff Bandī ke Aḥkām wa Masā’il by Shaykh Ghulām Muṣṭafā Ẓahīr Amnpūrī◈ Etiquette: Do Not Begin a New Row Until the Previous is Complete
Completing the front rows before forming new ones is an important etiquette in congregational prayer. No gaps should be left in the front rows; any shortage should be in the last row.
❖ Ḥadīth of Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه
❀ Arabic:
أيموا الصف الأول والثاني، فإن كان خلل، فليكن في الثالث.
Translation:
"Complete the first and second rows. If there is a gap, let it be in the third row."
Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah: 1547 – Isnāduhu ṢaḥīḥIf there are multiple rows, all the front rows should be completed first. The last row should begin directly behind the Imām, extending equally to both sides. Any remaining gaps should then be filled in that row.
🕊 Supplication: May Allah grant us the ability to straighten our rows as taught by the Noble Messenger ﷺ.
◈ Best Rows for Men and Women
❖ Ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه
❀ Arabic:
خير صفوف الرجال أولها، وشرها آخرها، وخير صفوف النساء آخرها، وشرها أولها.
Translation:
"The best rows for men are the first, and the worst are the last. The best rows for women are the last, and the worst are the first."
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 440
If a woman leads other women in prayer, then the first row is best for them. Likewise, if women are praying separately, their first row holds the most virtue.◈ Where Should Women Stand?
The women’s rows should be behind the men’s. If children are present, the order should be: men, then children, then women.
❖ Narration from Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī رضي الله عنه
❀ Arabic:
ألا أصلي بكم صلاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم؟ فصف الرجال، ثم صف الولدان خلف الرجال، ثم صف النساء خلف الولدان.
Translation:
"Shall I not lead you in prayer as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to? Then the men formed a row, behind them the boys, and behind them the women."
Musnad Aḥmad: 5/343; Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 677 – sanad ḥasan Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Mulqin (in Tuḥfat al-Muḥtāj: 548) graded the isnād as ḥasan.◈ Where Should the Imām Stand?
It is recommended for the Imām to stand centered at the front of the row.
❖ Narration from Rayṭah al-Ḥanafiyyah رحمة الله عليها
❀ Arabic:
أمتنا عائشة فقامت بينهن في الصلاة المكتوبة.
Translation:
"ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها led us in obligatory prayer, standing in the middle of the row."
Sunan al-Dāraquṭnī: 1507 – sanad ṣaḥīḥ Graded Ṣaḥīḥ by Ḥāfiẓ Nawawī Khulāṣat al-Aḥkām: 2/680
Note: If a woman leads other women, she stands in the middle of the row. If a man leads, he stands centered in front of the row.⚠ Clarification Regarding a Weak Narration
A narration from Sunan Abī Dāwūd (681) attributes the following to the Prophet ﷺ:
Arabic:
وسطوا الإمام
Translation:
"Place the Imām in the center (of the row)."
This narration is weak. The narrator Yaḥyā ibn Bashīr ibn Khallād is mastūr (unknown).❖ Commentary by Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī رحمه الله
Imām Ibn al-Qaṭṭān said:
❝The condition of this narrator and his father (or mother, more accurately) is unknown.❞
ʿAbd al-Ḥaqq said:
❝This isnād is not strong.❞
Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl: 4/367✔ The mention of the father is an error. In truth, his mother, Ummatu’l-Wāḥid bint Yāmīn ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, is majhūlah (unknown).
◈ Who Should Stand Behind the Imām?
Directly behind the Imām should be men of knowledge, righteousness, piety, and maturity—so that they can correct the Imām in case of mistakes or lead the congregation if necessary. Sadly, this is often neglected today, with unserious individuals or those ignorant of religious matters taking these places.
❖ Ḥadīth of Abū Masʿūd al-Anṣārī رضي الله عنه
❀ Arabic:
ليليني منكم أولو الأحلام والنهى، ثم الذين يلونهم، ثم الذين يلونهم.
Translation:
"Let those of you who possess wisdom and understanding stand close to me, then those who come after them, then those who come after them."
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 432❖ Commentary by ʿAllāmah Khaṭṭābī رحمه الله (d. 388 AH)
Arabic:
إنما أمر صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يليه ذووا الأحلام والنهى ليعقلوا عنه صلاته، ولكي يخلفوه في الإمامة إن حدث به حدت في صلاته، وليرجع إلى قولهم إن أصابه سهو، أو عرض في صلاته عارض في نحو ذلك من الأمور.
Translation:
"The Prophet ﷺ instructed that those with intelligence and understanding stand nearest to him so that they can comprehend his prayer, succeed him in leadership if needed, and correct him in case of forgetfulness or any incident that may occur during the prayer."
Maʿālim al-Sunan: 1/184