Written by: Ghulam Mustafa Zahid Ameenpuri
Straightening the rows for prayer, minimizing gaps between them, aligning the shoulders, joining the ankles, and placing the feet together is a Sunnah. The Companions and the early pious predecessors consistently practiced this. The instructions in the Hadiths of the Prophet (ﷺ) regarding the formation of rows are emphasized with great importance. Please consider the following:
Hadith 1:Narrated by Sayyidina Jabir bin Samura (رضي الله عنه):
He reported a Hadith, saying:
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Why don't you form rows like the angels do before their Lord?' We asked, 'O Messenger of Allah! How do the angels form rows before their Lord?' He replied: 'They complete the first rows and stand closely together in the row, leaving no gaps between them.'"
[Sahih Muslim: 180/1, Hadith 430]
Hadith 2:Narrated by Sayyidina Abu Mas'ud Al-Ansari (رضي الله عنه):
He reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to place his hands on our shoulders during prayer and would say: "Straighten up and do not differ (in rows), lest your hearts differ." Abu Mas'ud (رضي الله عنه) said: "Now, you are in more disarray."
[Sahih Muslim: 181/1, Hadith 432]
It is evident that crooked rows result in crooked hearts, leading to the end of love and harmony, the rise of enmity, hatred, and jealousy. This situation often causes brothers to become enemies, friendships to turn into grudges, and relationships to break down to the point where people cannot even tolerate seeing each other. The primary reason for today's discord and division is that the Hadith is not considered as the decisive authority, and people do not act upon it. Imams of mosques are neglectful of their responsibilities and do not pay attention to the straightening of rows. Such people will certainly be questioned by Allah on the Day of Judgment.
Hadith 3:Narrated by Sayyidina Bara bin Azib (رضي الله عنه):
He reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would enter the row and move from one side to the other, adjusting our chests and shoulders with his hands and saying: "Do not differ (in rows), lest your hearts differ."
[Musnad Ahmad: 285/4, Sunan Abi Dawood: 664, Sunan Nasai: 812, Sunan Ibn Majah: 997, and its chain is authentic]
Imam Ibn Jarud (316), Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (1556), and Imam Ibn Hibban (2161) have declared this Hadith "Sahih."
Hadith 4:Narrated by Sayyidina Nu’man bin Bashir (رضي الله عنه):
He reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would straighten our rows to such an extent as if he was straightening the shafts of arrows, until he saw that we had understood this. Then one day, he came out and was about to say the Takbeer when he noticed a man with his chest protruding from the row. He said: "O slaves of Allah! You must straighten your rows, or Allah will cause discord between your faces."
[Sahih Muslim: 182/1, Hadith 436]
Hadith 5:Narrated by Sayyidina Nu’man bin Bashir (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "You must straighten your rows, or Allah will create discord among your faces."
[Sahih Bukhari: Hadith 717, Sahih Muslim: Hadith 436]
Allama Ibn Hazm (384-456 AH) says about this warning:
"This is a severe warning, and warnings are only for major sins."
[Al-Muhalla by Ibn Hazm: 55/2, Issue: 415]
Hadith 6:Narrated by Sayyidina Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (رضي الله عنه):The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"When you pray (in congregation), straighten your rows."
[Sahih Muslim: 174/1, Hadith 404]
Hadith 7:Narrated by Sayyidina Bara bin Azib (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Join the rows closely, let there be no gaps like those of the small black sheep found in Yemen."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 351/1, Musnad As-Siraj: 758, Al-Mustadrak ala Sahihain by Hakim: 217/3, and its chain is authentic]
Imam Hakim has declared this Hadith "Sahih" according to the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim.
Hadith 8:Narrated by Sayyidina Nu’man bin Bashir (رضي الله عنه):
He reported: "When we stood up for prayer, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would straighten our rows, and when we were aligned, he would say the Takbeer to begin the prayer."
[Sunan Abi Dawood: 665, Sahih Abi Awanah: 138, and its chain is authentic]
Hafiz Nawawi (رحمه الله) declared its chain "Sahih" according to the conditions of Imam Muslim.
[Khilasat al-Ahkam by Nawawi: 2470]
Hadith 9:Narrated by Sayyidina Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Straighten the row in prayer, for straightening the row is part of the perfection of prayer."
[Sahih Bukhari: Hadith 722, Sahih Muslim: Hadith 435]
Hadith 10:Narrated by Sayyidina Anas (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Straighten your rows, for straightening the row is part of establishing the prayer."
[Sahih Bukhari: 100/1, Hadith 723, Sahih Muslim: 181/1, Hadith 433]
Hadith 11:Narrated by Sayyidina Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Perfect the straightening of the rows in prayer."
[Musnad Ahmad: 485/2, and its chain is authentic]
Imam Ibn Hibban (2179) declared this Hadith "Sahih."
Hadith 12:Narrated by Sayyidina Anas bin Malik (رضي الله عنه):
He reported that when the prayer was about to begin, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) turned his face toward us and said: "Straighten your rows and stand close together, for I can see you from behind my back."
[Sahih Bukhari: 100/1, Hadith 719]
Hadith 13:Narrated by Sayyidina Anas (رضي الله عنه):
In another narration, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Straighten your rows, for I can see you from behind my back." He added: "We would join our shoulders and feet with each other."
[Sahih Bukhari: 100/1, Hadith 725]
What do you say about those who only join their fingers? Is their action in accordance with the Hadith or contrary to it?
Hadith 14:Narrated by Sayyidina Thawban (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Be straight and close together."
[Musnad Ahmad: 282/5, Musnad Ad-Darimi: Hadith 662, and its chain is authentic]
Imam Ibn Hibban (1037) declared this Hadith "Sahih."
Hadith 15:Narrated by Sayyidina Anas bin Malik (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Be straight in your rows and close together, for I can see you from behind my back." Anas (رضي الله عنه) said: "I saw each of us would join their shoulders and feet with each other."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 350/1, Fawaid Al-Mukhlis: 2/10/1, Al-Fath by Ibn Hajar: 211/2, and its chain is authentic]
Hadith 16:Narrated by Sayyidina Abdullah bin Umar (رضي الله عنهما):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Straighten your rows, align your shoulders, fill the gaps, and be soft in the hands of your brothers. Do not leave any gaps for Satan. Whoever joins the row, Allah will join him (in His mercy), and whoever breaks the row, Allah will cut him off."
[Musnad Ahmad: 98/2, Sunan Abi Dawood 666, Sunan Nasai: 820, and its chain is authentic]
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (1549) declared this Hadith "Sahih," and Imam Hakim (213/1) said it is "Sahih" according to the conditions of Imam Muslim.
Hadith 17:Narrated by Sayyidina Anas bin Malik (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Join your rows closely, stand close together, and align your necks, for by Him in whose hand is Muhammad's soul! I see the devils entering through the gaps in the rows as if they were small black sheep."
[Sunan Abi Dawood: 667, Al-Sunan Al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi: 100/3, and its chain is authentic]
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (1545) and Imam Ibn Hibban (2166) declared this Hadith "Sahih."
Hadith 18:Narrated by Sayyidina Abdullah bin Mas'ud (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Straighten your rows, for the devil enters through them like small sheep or lambs."
[Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabir by Al-Tabarani: 275/9, Hadith 9376, and its chain is authentic]
Hadith 19:Narrated by Sayyidina Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When you stand up for prayer, straighten your rows and fill in the gaps, for I can see you from behind my back."
[Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 1548, Sahih Ibn Hibban: 401, and its chain is authentic]
Final Remarks:
Dear readers! Completing the rows, straightening them, filling the gaps, and standing close together in the rows are essential. We have presented a collection of authentic Hadiths on this topic. Reflect on how the Ummah is neglecting these Hadiths. Muslims fail to realize that leaving gaps in the rows is a highly disliked act, which carries severe warnings. This negligence diminishes the virtue of the congregation. In fact, if people do not stand close together in the rows, leaving gaps, it is as if they are standing alone behind the row, which invalidates their prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered such a person to repeat the prayer.
Supplication of the Prophet (ﷺ):
The Prophet (ﷺ) made a supplication for those who join the rows, saying:
"Whoever joins a row, Allah will join him (in His mercy)."
[Musnad Ahmad: 98/2, Sunan Abi Dawood 666, Sunan Nasai: 820, and its chain is authentic]
Interpretation of a Quranic Verse:
The renowned commentator Imam Ismail bin Abdulrahman As-Suddi (رحمه الله) interprets the verse:
“Indeed, we are the ones who line up in rows (for prayer).” [As-Saffat: 165], saying:
"It means we form rows for prayer."
[Tafsir Al-Tabari: 135/23, and its chain is authentic]
The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of adhering to these instructions and Sunnahs regarding straightening rows during prayer, as neglecting them leads to disunity and conflict among Muslims.
Straightening the rows for prayer, minimizing gaps between them, aligning the shoulders, joining the ankles, and placing the feet together is a Sunnah. The Companions and the early pious predecessors consistently practiced this. The instructions in the Hadiths of the Prophet (ﷺ) regarding the formation of rows are emphasized with great importance. Please consider the following:
Hadith 1:Narrated by Sayyidina Jabir bin Samura (رضي الله عنه):
He reported a Hadith, saying:
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Why don't you form rows like the angels do before their Lord?' We asked, 'O Messenger of Allah! How do the angels form rows before their Lord?' He replied: 'They complete the first rows and stand closely together in the row, leaving no gaps between them.'"
[Sahih Muslim: 180/1, Hadith 430]
Hadith 2:Narrated by Sayyidina Abu Mas'ud Al-Ansari (رضي الله عنه):
He reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to place his hands on our shoulders during prayer and would say: "Straighten up and do not differ (in rows), lest your hearts differ." Abu Mas'ud (رضي الله عنه) said: "Now, you are in more disarray."
[Sahih Muslim: 181/1, Hadith 432]
It is evident that crooked rows result in crooked hearts, leading to the end of love and harmony, the rise of enmity, hatred, and jealousy. This situation often causes brothers to become enemies, friendships to turn into grudges, and relationships to break down to the point where people cannot even tolerate seeing each other. The primary reason for today's discord and division is that the Hadith is not considered as the decisive authority, and people do not act upon it. Imams of mosques are neglectful of their responsibilities and do not pay attention to the straightening of rows. Such people will certainly be questioned by Allah on the Day of Judgment.
Hadith 3:Narrated by Sayyidina Bara bin Azib (رضي الله عنه):
He reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would enter the row and move from one side to the other, adjusting our chests and shoulders with his hands and saying: "Do not differ (in rows), lest your hearts differ."
[Musnad Ahmad: 285/4, Sunan Abi Dawood: 664, Sunan Nasai: 812, Sunan Ibn Majah: 997, and its chain is authentic]
Imam Ibn Jarud (316), Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (1556), and Imam Ibn Hibban (2161) have declared this Hadith "Sahih."
Hadith 4:Narrated by Sayyidina Nu’man bin Bashir (رضي الله عنه):
He reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would straighten our rows to such an extent as if he was straightening the shafts of arrows, until he saw that we had understood this. Then one day, he came out and was about to say the Takbeer when he noticed a man with his chest protruding from the row. He said: "O slaves of Allah! You must straighten your rows, or Allah will cause discord between your faces."
[Sahih Muslim: 182/1, Hadith 436]
Hadith 5:Narrated by Sayyidina Nu’man bin Bashir (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "You must straighten your rows, or Allah will create discord among your faces."
[Sahih Bukhari: Hadith 717, Sahih Muslim: Hadith 436]
Allama Ibn Hazm (384-456 AH) says about this warning:
"This is a severe warning, and warnings are only for major sins."
[Al-Muhalla by Ibn Hazm: 55/2, Issue: 415]
Hadith 6:Narrated by Sayyidina Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (رضي الله عنه):The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"When you pray (in congregation), straighten your rows."
[Sahih Muslim: 174/1, Hadith 404]
Hadith 7:Narrated by Sayyidina Bara bin Azib (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Join the rows closely, let there be no gaps like those of the small black sheep found in Yemen."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 351/1, Musnad As-Siraj: 758, Al-Mustadrak ala Sahihain by Hakim: 217/3, and its chain is authentic]
Imam Hakim has declared this Hadith "Sahih" according to the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim.
Hadith 8:Narrated by Sayyidina Nu’man bin Bashir (رضي الله عنه):
He reported: "When we stood up for prayer, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would straighten our rows, and when we were aligned, he would say the Takbeer to begin the prayer."
[Sunan Abi Dawood: 665, Sahih Abi Awanah: 138, and its chain is authentic]
Hafiz Nawawi (رحمه الله) declared its chain "Sahih" according to the conditions of Imam Muslim.
[Khilasat al-Ahkam by Nawawi: 2470]
Hadith 9:Narrated by Sayyidina Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Straighten the row in prayer, for straightening the row is part of the perfection of prayer."
[Sahih Bukhari: Hadith 722, Sahih Muslim: Hadith 435]
Hadith 10:Narrated by Sayyidina Anas (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Straighten your rows, for straightening the row is part of establishing the prayer."
[Sahih Bukhari: 100/1, Hadith 723, Sahih Muslim: 181/1, Hadith 433]
Hadith 11:Narrated by Sayyidina Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Perfect the straightening of the rows in prayer."
[Musnad Ahmad: 485/2, and its chain is authentic]
Imam Ibn Hibban (2179) declared this Hadith "Sahih."
Hadith 12:Narrated by Sayyidina Anas bin Malik (رضي الله عنه):
He reported that when the prayer was about to begin, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) turned his face toward us and said: "Straighten your rows and stand close together, for I can see you from behind my back."
[Sahih Bukhari: 100/1, Hadith 719]
Hadith 13:Narrated by Sayyidina Anas (رضي الله عنه):
In another narration, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Straighten your rows, for I can see you from behind my back." He added: "We would join our shoulders and feet with each other."
[Sahih Bukhari: 100/1, Hadith 725]
What do you say about those who only join their fingers? Is their action in accordance with the Hadith or contrary to it?
Hadith 14:Narrated by Sayyidina Thawban (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Be straight and close together."
[Musnad Ahmad: 282/5, Musnad Ad-Darimi: Hadith 662, and its chain is authentic]
Imam Ibn Hibban (1037) declared this Hadith "Sahih."
Hadith 15:Narrated by Sayyidina Anas bin Malik (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Be straight in your rows and close together, for I can see you from behind my back." Anas (رضي الله عنه) said: "I saw each of us would join their shoulders and feet with each other."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 350/1, Fawaid Al-Mukhlis: 2/10/1, Al-Fath by Ibn Hajar: 211/2, and its chain is authentic]
Hadith 16:Narrated by Sayyidina Abdullah bin Umar (رضي الله عنهما):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Straighten your rows, align your shoulders, fill the gaps, and be soft in the hands of your brothers. Do not leave any gaps for Satan. Whoever joins the row, Allah will join him (in His mercy), and whoever breaks the row, Allah will cut him off."
[Musnad Ahmad: 98/2, Sunan Abi Dawood 666, Sunan Nasai: 820, and its chain is authentic]
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (1549) declared this Hadith "Sahih," and Imam Hakim (213/1) said it is "Sahih" according to the conditions of Imam Muslim.
Hadith 17:Narrated by Sayyidina Anas bin Malik (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Join your rows closely, stand close together, and align your necks, for by Him in whose hand is Muhammad's soul! I see the devils entering through the gaps in the rows as if they were small black sheep."
[Sunan Abi Dawood: 667, Al-Sunan Al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi: 100/3, and its chain is authentic]
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (1545) and Imam Ibn Hibban (2166) declared this Hadith "Sahih."
Hadith 18:Narrated by Sayyidina Abdullah bin Mas'ud (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Straighten your rows, for the devil enters through them like small sheep or lambs."
[Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabir by Al-Tabarani: 275/9, Hadith 9376, and its chain is authentic]
Hadith 19:Narrated by Sayyidina Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When you stand up for prayer, straighten your rows and fill in the gaps, for I can see you from behind my back."
[Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 1548, Sahih Ibn Hibban: 401, and its chain is authentic]
Final Remarks:
Dear readers! Completing the rows, straightening them, filling the gaps, and standing close together in the rows are essential. We have presented a collection of authentic Hadiths on this topic. Reflect on how the Ummah is neglecting these Hadiths. Muslims fail to realize that leaving gaps in the rows is a highly disliked act, which carries severe warnings. This negligence diminishes the virtue of the congregation. In fact, if people do not stand close together in the rows, leaving gaps, it is as if they are standing alone behind the row, which invalidates their prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered such a person to repeat the prayer.
Supplication of the Prophet (ﷺ):
The Prophet (ﷺ) made a supplication for those who join the rows, saying:
"Whoever joins a row, Allah will join him (in His mercy)."
[Musnad Ahmad: 98/2, Sunan Abi Dawood 666, Sunan Nasai: 820, and its chain is authentic]
Interpretation of a Quranic Verse:
The renowned commentator Imam Ismail bin Abdulrahman As-Suddi (رحمه الله) interprets the verse:
“Indeed, we are the ones who line up in rows (for prayer).” [As-Saffat: 165], saying:
"It means we form rows for prayer."
[Tafsir Al-Tabari: 135/23, and its chain is authentic]
The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of adhering to these instructions and Sunnahs regarding straightening rows during prayer, as neglecting them leads to disunity and conflict among Muslims.