Is It Obligatory for Congregants to Align Their Feet During Salah?
Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
During congregational (jamāʿat) prayer, is it obligatory for a follower (muqtadī) to align his foot with the foot of the person next to him?
✔ Yes, it is necessary for the congregants to align their feet with one another during the prayer.
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Straighten your rows, for I can see you from behind my back.' Then we would align shoulder to shoulder and foot to foot."
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 725
This clearly indicates:
✖ Merely touching toes or aligning fingers is not sufficient.
✔ Feet must be aligned—this is essential for maintaining straight and compact rows.
"All these narrations clearly show that ‘straightening the rows’ means:
"It is also clear that during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, this was the practice of the companions. The act of aligning rows properly and joining feet to feet was known and practiced among the early generations—the Ṣaḥābah and Tābiʿīn.
Later generations, unfortunately, fell into laziness and negligence in this regard."
Mirʿāt al-Mafātīḥ, Vol. 5, p. 4
✔ Aligning feet with the person next to you in congregational prayer is:
✖ Neglecting it is a sign of laxity and goes against the authentic practice of the early generations.
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
This is what I understand, and Allah knows best what is correct.
Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
❖ Question:
During congregational (jamāʿat) prayer, is it obligatory for a follower (muqtadī) to align his foot with the foot of the person next to him?
❖ Answer:
✔ Yes, it is necessary for the congregants to align their feet with one another during the prayer.
❖ Ḥadīth Evidence:
❀ Sayyidunā Anas bin Mālik رضي الله عنه narrated:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Straighten your rows, for I can see you from behind my back.' Then we would align shoulder to shoulder and foot to foot."
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 725 This clearly indicates:- The companions used to align their shoulders and feet.
- It was part of the Prophetic guidance and practice.
❖ Clarification:
✖ Merely touching toes or aligning fingers is not sufficient.
✔ Feet must be aligned—this is essential for maintaining straight and compact rows.
❖ Scholarly Statement:
❀ ʿAllāmah ʿUbaydullāh Raḥmānī Mubārakpūrī رحمه الله (d. 1414 AH) writes:
"All these narrations clearly show that ‘straightening the rows’ means:
- Standing aligned in one straight line,
- Shoulder to shoulder,
- Foot to foot,
- Filling in all the gaps."*
"It is also clear that during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, this was the practice of the companions. The act of aligning rows properly and joining feet to feet was known and practiced among the early generations—the Ṣaḥābah and Tābiʿīn.
Later generations, unfortunately, fell into laziness and negligence in this regard."
Mirʿāt al-Mafātīḥ, Vol. 5, p. 4 Summary:
✔ Aligning feet with the person next to you in congregational prayer is:
- Established Sunnah
- Practiced by the companions
- A sign of discipline and unity in worship
✖ Neglecting it is a sign of laxity and goes against the authentic practice of the early generations.
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
This is what I understand, and Allah knows best what is correct.
