Written by: Hafiz Abu Yahya Noorpuri
If someone is praying behind the Imam in congregation, then any prayer offered by a lone man behind the row is not valid under any circumstance. The evidences for this ruling are as follows:
“A man prayed alone behind the row, so the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordered him to repeat the prayer.”
[Jami' at-Tirmidhi: 230, Sunan Abi Dawood: 682, Sunan Ibn Majah: 1004, Musnad Imam Ahmad: 4/228, Musnad ad-Darimi: 2/815, Hadith: 1322; The chain is authentic.]
“This Hadith has been authenticated by Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal and Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh (may Allah have mercy on them).”
[Al-Awsat fi al-Sunan wal-Ijma' wal-Ikhtilaf by Ibn al-Mundhir: 4/184]
“I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and after finishing, he saw a man praying alone behind the row. The Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) waited until the man finished his prayer and then said to him, ‘Repeat your prayer, for there is no prayer for a lone man behind the row.’”
[Musnad Imam Ahmad: 4/23, Hadith: 24293; Sunan Ibn Majah: 1003; The chain is Hasan.]
“Its chain is Sahih, and its narrators are trustworthy.”
[Misbah az-Zujajah fi Zawa'id Ibn Majah by al-Busiri: 1/122]
“He (the person left alone behind the row) should either join the row or bring someone from the row to stand with him.”
[Musnad Ali bin al-Ja’d: 112; The chain is authentic.]
Hammad bin Abi Sulayman (a Tabi'i, died 120 AH) says:
“Such a person should repeat the prayer.”
[Also: 113; The chain is authentic.]
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (died 241 AH) and Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh (died 238 AH) (may Allah have mercy on them) hold the same opinion that the prayer of a lone person behind the row is invalid, and he must repeat it.
[Jami' at-Tirmidhi, under Hadith: 230; The chain is authentic.]
Imam Waki' bin Jarrah (may Allah have mercy on him) (died 197 AH) states:
“When a person prays alone behind the row, he should repeat the prayer.”
[Also, under Hadith: 231; The chain is authentic.]
Imam Ibn al-Mundhir (may Allah have mercy on him) (died 218 AH) says:
“The prayer of a lone individual behind the row is invalid, due to the established narrations of Wabisa and Ali bin Shayban.”
[Al-Awsat fi al-Sunan wal-Ijma' wal-Ikhtilaf by Ibn al-Mundhir: 4/184]
Imam Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Abdur Rahman ad-Darimi (181-255 AH) after narrating the Hadith of Sayyiduna Wabisa (may Allah be pleased with him) comments:
“I give a fatwa according to this.”
[Musnad ad-Darimi: 2/816, Hadith: 1323]
Imam Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) (died 456 AH) after discussing this issue states:
“It has been proven that those who permit the prayer of a lone individual behind the row or the prayer of one who does not complete the rows have no evidence from the Quran, Sunnah, or consensus. The righteous predecessors agree with our stance.”
[Al-Muhalla by Ibn Hazm: 4/58, Issue: 415]
Imam al-A’immah Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him) (died 311 AH) titles this Hadith as follows:
“Chapter on the prohibition of the follower praying alone behind the row.”
He further states:“Indeed, the prayer of one who prays alone behind the row is invalid, and he must repeat it.”
[Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 3/30]
“I, an orphan, and my mother Umm Sulaym prayed behind the Prophet (peace be upon him) in our house.”
[Sahih Bukhari: 727; Sahih Muslim: 658]
Analysis:
This Hadith does not validate the prayer of a lone man behind the row because the allowance is specific to women. Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) titles this as:
“Chapter: A Woman Counts as a Row by Herself.”
If men could also count as a row by themselves, then what would be the purpose of this chapter? Moreover, both men and women must form a row behind the Imam in congregational prayer as stated by the Prophet (peace be upon him):
“Straighten your rows, for straightening the rows is part of establishing prayer.”
[Sahih Bukhari: 723; Sahih Muslim: 433]
Thus, a lone woman standing behind the row is permissible due to a specific command from the Prophet (peace be upon him), while the prohibition for a lone man is clearly established by the sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Therefore, this Hadith does not provide any basis for allowing a lone man to stand behind the row.
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
“To argue from this Hadith that a man can pray alone behind the row is wrong. The Sunnah for a woman is to stand alone behind the row if no other woman is with her. She is not allowed to stand beside the Imam or in the row with men. A male follower, if alone, should stand to the right of the Imam, and if there are more, they should form a row behind the Imam until the first row is completed. It is not permissible for a man to stand alone behind the Imam, and there is no difference of opinion among scholars that such an action would contradict the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him).”
[Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 3/30]
Imam Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) also writes:
“There is no evidence in this Hadith for them, as this ruling pertains to women standing behind men. If the women are more in number, then they too must form rows. It is not permissible to abandon the Hadith of Wabisa for this Hadith, nor the Hadith of Wabisa for the Hadith of the woman's prayer.”
[Al-Muhalla by Ibn Hazm: 4/57]
Thus, this Hadith does not provide evidence for the validity of a lone man’s prayer behind the row.
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) stood to pray at night, so I stood on his left. He took hold of me from behind and placed me on his right.”
[Sahih Bukhari: 6726; Sahih Muslim: 763]
Similarly, a similar incident is narrated concerning Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) [Sahih Muslim: 3010].
Analysis:
This Hadith does not support the validity of a lone man praying behind the row, as Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas and Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with them) did not pray behind the row. They only changed positions out of necessity. Even if it is accepted that these Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) performed part of their prayer while adjusting their positions behind the row, it does not justify a man praying his entire prayer alone behind the row. At most, it allows for a change of position out of necessity. The Prophet (peace be upon him) nullified the prayer of a lone man behind the row generally, and this specific scenario of position change due to necessity would be excluded from that general ruling. The person who was already in the row and changed his position to behind the row does not need to repeat his prayer, while a person joining the congregation and praying alone behind the row must repeat his prayer due to the first evidence we mentioned, as the command of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is clear. This way, all the Hadiths are acted upon.
Imam Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
“There is no evidence for them in this Hadith, as we have mentioned that it is not permissible to oppose the Sunnah. This is a mockery of religion. The one who abandons the Hadith of Wabisa and Ali bin Shayban (may Allah be pleased with them) for the Hadith of Jabir and Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) is the same as the one who abandons the Hadith of Jabir and Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) for the Hadith of Wabisa and Ali bin Shayban (may Allah be pleased with them). Both are equally wrong, and it is obligatory to act upon all the Hadiths, as they are all true, and opposing them is not permissible.”
[Al-Muhalla by Ibn Hazm: 4/57]
He also writes:
“A person who has been moved from the left to the right side while praying has never been referred to as someone praying alone behind the row.”
“He (Abu Bakra) came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) while he was in the bowing position. So, he bowed before reaching the row, and after that, he walked to the row and joined it. He mentioned this to the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said: ‘May Allah increase your eagerness, but do not repeat this.’”
[Sahih Bukhari: 783]
Analysis:
This narration has been misinterpreted similarly to how the previous narration was misused. In the previous instance, the effort was made to prove that someone moving from the left to the right of the Imam had prayed behind the row. In this case, the attempt is to suggest that someone who moved into the row while bowing was praying alone behind the row. However, it is evident that Sayyiduna Abu Bakra (may Allah be pleased with him), upon seeing the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the bowing position, immediately bowed from behind the row out of eagerness to follow the Prophet’s actions. He then walked forward and joined the row. This walking was done to join the row, not to perform the prayer alone behind it.
Even if we accept that Sayyiduna Abu Bakra (may Allah be pleased with him) had prayed alone behind the row, this cannot be used as evidence because the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade him from doing so in the future, indicating that praying alone behind the row is prohibited according to the Prophet's instructions.
Imam Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) also provides a ruling on this matter:
“This narration serves as evidence against those who permit such an action... It is established that bowing behind the row and then joining the row is not permissible (let alone performing one or two rak‘ahs or the entire prayer behind the row).”
[Al-Muhalla by Ibn Hazm: 4/57-58]
Now, regarding the objection that if such an action was impermissible, why didn’t the Prophet (peace be upon him) instruct Sayyiduna Abu Bakra (may Allah be pleased with him) to repeat the rak‘ah in which he bowed behind the row? The objector must first prove that Sayyiduna Abu Bakra (may Allah be pleased with him) did not repeat that rak‘ah. The absence of mention is not evidence of non-existence. In our first evidence, it is clearly established that the Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed someone praying alone behind the row to repeat their prayer. Preferring ambiguous evidence over clear instruction is not just.
Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about someone who prayed alone behind the row, and he responded: "He should not repeat the prayer."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/12]
Commentary:
However, this narration is extremely weak due to several reasons:
“Such a person’s prayer will be valid.”
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/193]
Commentary:
However, the chain of this narration is also severely weak because:
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah]
Commentary:
However, the chain is weak due to the tadlees (concealing defects) of Younus bin Ubaid.
It is evident that nothing authentic has been proven regarding the validity of a lone man's prayer behind the row according to the Companions and Successors.
Regarding the opinion of Imam Shafi‘i (may Allah have mercy on him) and others that the prayer of such a person is valid, their argument is based on the narration of Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), which states that his mother, Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her), prayed alone behind the row. Since this was the first evidence presented by proponents, we have already discussed it in detail. The summary is that this Hadith specifically allows a woman to pray alone behind the row. It is incorrect to extend this allowance to men praying alone behind the row.
Pull Someone from the Row: They can pull one person from the front row to join them in forming a new row behind. The evidence for this is the Hadith of Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), which states that when he stood on the left of the Prophet (peace be upon him) during prayer, the Prophet (peace be upon him) took hold of him and moved him to his right. Later, Jabbar bin Sakhr (may Allah be pleased with him) joined them and stood on the Prophet’s left, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) moved both of them to the row behind.
[Sahih Muslim: 3010]
The scholars also support this action, as Imam Shu'bah bin Hajjaj narrates from Imam Ibrahim al-Nakha'i:
“If someone is left alone behind the row, they should either join the row or pull someone from the row to stand with them behind.”
[Musnad Ali bin al-Ja’d: 112; The chain is authentic.]
This clearly indicates that it is permissible for a lone person to pull someone from the front row to join them in forming a new row. The movement involved in this process is also permissible. If someone considers pulling a person from the row to be breaking the row and applies the warnings against breaking rows to this action, they are mistaken. Leaving the row for a valid reason is not considered breaking the row. For example, if someone loses their wudu during prayer, will they not leave the row? Certainly, they will. So, will this action be considered breaking the row, and will the first row be incomplete? Absolutely not. Therefore, it is incorrect to use the following Hadith to argue against this action:
“Whoever joins a row, Allah joins him with His mercy, and whoever breaks a row, Allah cuts him off from His mercy.”
[Musnad Imam Ahmad: 5724, Sunan Abi Dawood: 666; The chain is authentic.]
This Hadith pertains to someone who, without any valid reason, disrupts the rows, not to someone who pulls a person to form a new row based on authentic Hadiths.
Wait for Someone to Join:
If the person does not want to pull someone from the row or is unable to do so for some reason, they should wait until someone else arrives. If they fear that the congregation might end while waiting, they should not pray alone behind the row because praying alone behind the row is not permissible under any circumstances. Waiting might lead to missing the congregation, but praying alone behind the row will result in the prayer being invalid. In such a case, the person must repeat their prayer.
If someone is praying behind the Imam in congregation, then any prayer offered by a lone man behind the row is not valid under any circumstance. The evidences for this ruling are as follows:
Evidence No. 1:
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Wabisa bin Ma'bad (may Allah be pleased with him):“A man prayed alone behind the row, so the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordered him to repeat the prayer.”
[Jami' at-Tirmidhi: 230, Sunan Abi Dawood: 682, Sunan Ibn Majah: 1004, Musnad Imam Ahmad: 4/228, Musnad ad-Darimi: 2/815, Hadith: 1322; The chain is authentic.]
- Imam Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him) classified this Hadith as "Hasan," while Imam Ibn Jarud [319] and Imam Ibn Hibban [Al-Mawardi: 405] classified it as "Sahih."
“This Hadith has been authenticated by Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal and Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh (may Allah have mercy on them).”
[Al-Awsat fi al-Sunan wal-Ijma' wal-Ikhtilaf by Ibn al-Mundhir: 4/184]
Evidence No. 2:
Sayyiduna Ali bin Shayban (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:“I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and after finishing, he saw a man praying alone behind the row. The Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) waited until the man finished his prayer and then said to him, ‘Repeat your prayer, for there is no prayer for a lone man behind the row.’”
[Musnad Imam Ahmad: 4/23, Hadith: 24293; Sunan Ibn Majah: 1003; The chain is Hasan.]
- Imam Athram and Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on them) mentioned that this Hadith is Hasan.
- Imam Ibn Khuzaymah [1569] and Imam Ibn Hibban [2206] authenticated this Hadith, while Hafiz Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) considered its chain as Hasan [Khilasat al-Ahkam: 2517].
“Its chain is Sahih, and its narrators are trustworthy.”
[Misbah az-Zujajah fi Zawa'id Ibn Majah by al-Busiri: 1/122]
The Prayer of a Lone Individual Behind the Row According to the Scholars of Islam
Imam Shu'bah bin Hajjaj (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from Imam Ibrahim al-Nakha'i (a Tabi'i, died 96 AH):“He (the person left alone behind the row) should either join the row or bring someone from the row to stand with him.”
[Musnad Ali bin al-Ja’d: 112; The chain is authentic.]
Hammad bin Abi Sulayman (a Tabi'i, died 120 AH) says:
“Such a person should repeat the prayer.”
[Also: 113; The chain is authentic.]
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (died 241 AH) and Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh (died 238 AH) (may Allah have mercy on them) hold the same opinion that the prayer of a lone person behind the row is invalid, and he must repeat it.
[Jami' at-Tirmidhi, under Hadith: 230; The chain is authentic.]
Imam Waki' bin Jarrah (may Allah have mercy on him) (died 197 AH) states:
“When a person prays alone behind the row, he should repeat the prayer.”
[Also, under Hadith: 231; The chain is authentic.]
Imam Ibn al-Mundhir (may Allah have mercy on him) (died 218 AH) says:
“The prayer of a lone individual behind the row is invalid, due to the established narrations of Wabisa and Ali bin Shayban.”
[Al-Awsat fi al-Sunan wal-Ijma' wal-Ikhtilaf by Ibn al-Mundhir: 4/184]
Imam Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Abdur Rahman ad-Darimi (181-255 AH) after narrating the Hadith of Sayyiduna Wabisa (may Allah be pleased with him) comments:
“I give a fatwa according to this.”
[Musnad ad-Darimi: 2/816, Hadith: 1323]
Imam Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) (died 456 AH) after discussing this issue states:
“It has been proven that those who permit the prayer of a lone individual behind the row or the prayer of one who does not complete the rows have no evidence from the Quran, Sunnah, or consensus. The righteous predecessors agree with our stance.”
[Al-Muhalla by Ibn Hazm: 4/58, Issue: 415]
Imam al-A’immah Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him) (died 311 AH) titles this Hadith as follows:
“Chapter on the prohibition of the follower praying alone behind the row.”
He further states:“Indeed, the prayer of one who prays alone behind the row is invalid, and he must repeat it.”
[Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 3/30]
Fair Analysis of the Alleged Evidence by Proponents of the Contrary View
Some people argue that the prayer of a lone individual behind the row is valid. However, as stated by Imam Ibn Hazm, they have no evidence from the Quran, Sunnah, or consensus. Below is an analysis of the evidence they present:Evidence No. 1:
Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:“I, an orphan, and my mother Umm Sulaym prayed behind the Prophet (peace be upon him) in our house.”
[Sahih Bukhari: 727; Sahih Muslim: 658]
Analysis:
This Hadith does not validate the prayer of a lone man behind the row because the allowance is specific to women. Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) titles this as:
“Chapter: A Woman Counts as a Row by Herself.”
If men could also count as a row by themselves, then what would be the purpose of this chapter? Moreover, both men and women must form a row behind the Imam in congregational prayer as stated by the Prophet (peace be upon him):
“Straighten your rows, for straightening the rows is part of establishing prayer.”
[Sahih Bukhari: 723; Sahih Muslim: 433]
Thus, a lone woman standing behind the row is permissible due to a specific command from the Prophet (peace be upon him), while the prohibition for a lone man is clearly established by the sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Therefore, this Hadith does not provide any basis for allowing a lone man to stand behind the row.
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
“To argue from this Hadith that a man can pray alone behind the row is wrong. The Sunnah for a woman is to stand alone behind the row if no other woman is with her. She is not allowed to stand beside the Imam or in the row with men. A male follower, if alone, should stand to the right of the Imam, and if there are more, they should form a row behind the Imam until the first row is completed. It is not permissible for a man to stand alone behind the Imam, and there is no difference of opinion among scholars that such an action would contradict the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him).”
[Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 3/30]
Imam Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) also writes:
“There is no evidence in this Hadith for them, as this ruling pertains to women standing behind men. If the women are more in number, then they too must form rows. It is not permissible to abandon the Hadith of Wabisa for this Hadith, nor the Hadith of Wabisa for the Hadith of the woman's prayer.”
[Al-Muhalla by Ibn Hazm: 4/57]
Thus, this Hadith does not provide evidence for the validity of a lone man’s prayer behind the row.
Evidence No. 2:
Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates:“The Prophet (peace be upon him) stood to pray at night, so I stood on his left. He took hold of me from behind and placed me on his right.”
[Sahih Bukhari: 6726; Sahih Muslim: 763]
Similarly, a similar incident is narrated concerning Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) [Sahih Muslim: 3010].
Analysis:
This Hadith does not support the validity of a lone man praying behind the row, as Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas and Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with them) did not pray behind the row. They only changed positions out of necessity. Even if it is accepted that these Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) performed part of their prayer while adjusting their positions behind the row, it does not justify a man praying his entire prayer alone behind the row. At most, it allows for a change of position out of necessity. The Prophet (peace be upon him) nullified the prayer of a lone man behind the row generally, and this specific scenario of position change due to necessity would be excluded from that general ruling. The person who was already in the row and changed his position to behind the row does not need to repeat his prayer, while a person joining the congregation and praying alone behind the row must repeat his prayer due to the first evidence we mentioned, as the command of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is clear. This way, all the Hadiths are acted upon.
Imam Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
“There is no evidence for them in this Hadith, as we have mentioned that it is not permissible to oppose the Sunnah. This is a mockery of religion. The one who abandons the Hadith of Wabisa and Ali bin Shayban (may Allah be pleased with them) for the Hadith of Jabir and Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) is the same as the one who abandons the Hadith of Jabir and Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) for the Hadith of Wabisa and Ali bin Shayban (may Allah be pleased with them). Both are equally wrong, and it is obligatory to act upon all the Hadiths, as they are all true, and opposing them is not permissible.”
[Al-Muhalla by Ibn Hazm: 4/57]
He also writes:
“A person who has been moved from the left to the right side while praying has never been referred to as someone praying alone behind the row.”
Evidence No. 3:
Sayyiduna Abu Bakra (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:“He (Abu Bakra) came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) while he was in the bowing position. So, he bowed before reaching the row, and after that, he walked to the row and joined it. He mentioned this to the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said: ‘May Allah increase your eagerness, but do not repeat this.’”
[Sahih Bukhari: 783]
Analysis:
This narration has been misinterpreted similarly to how the previous narration was misused. In the previous instance, the effort was made to prove that someone moving from the left to the right of the Imam had prayed behind the row. In this case, the attempt is to suggest that someone who moved into the row while bowing was praying alone behind the row. However, it is evident that Sayyiduna Abu Bakra (may Allah be pleased with him), upon seeing the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the bowing position, immediately bowed from behind the row out of eagerness to follow the Prophet’s actions. He then walked forward and joined the row. This walking was done to join the row, not to perform the prayer alone behind it.
Even if we accept that Sayyiduna Abu Bakra (may Allah be pleased with him) had prayed alone behind the row, this cannot be used as evidence because the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade him from doing so in the future, indicating that praying alone behind the row is prohibited according to the Prophet's instructions.
Imam Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) also provides a ruling on this matter:
“This narration serves as evidence against those who permit such an action... It is established that bowing behind the row and then joining the row is not permissible (let alone performing one or two rak‘ahs or the entire prayer behind the row).”
[Al-Muhalla by Ibn Hazm: 4/57-58]
Now, regarding the objection that if such an action was impermissible, why didn’t the Prophet (peace be upon him) instruct Sayyiduna Abu Bakra (may Allah be pleased with him) to repeat the rak‘ah in which he bowed behind the row? The objector must first prove that Sayyiduna Abu Bakra (may Allah be pleased with him) did not repeat that rak‘ah. The absence of mention is not evidence of non-existence. In our first evidence, it is clearly established that the Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed someone praying alone behind the row to repeat their prayer. Preferring ambiguous evidence over clear instruction is not just.
Unproven Statements Attributed to Companions and Successors:
Those who permit the prayer of a lone individual behind the row sometimes cite unverified statements attributed to Companions and Successors. Let's review them:Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about someone who prayed alone behind the row, and he responded: "He should not repeat the prayer."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/12]
Commentary:
However, this narration is extremely weak due to several reasons:
- Abu Mu‘awiyah Muhammad bin Khazim al-Darir, the narrator, is a mudallis (one who conceals defects in the chain), and there is no clear evidence of him hearing this directly.
- Juwair bin Sa'id al-Azdi, another narrator, is severely weak and abandoned.
- There is no evidence that al-Dahhak bin Muzahim heard this directly from Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him).
“Such a person’s prayer will be valid.”
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/193]
Commentary:
However, the chain of this narration is also severely weak because:
- Hafs bin Ghiyath, a narrator, is mudallis.
- Ash'ath bin Suwar, another narrator, is weak.
- If the narrator named ‘Amr is ‘Amr bin Ubaid, then he is an abandoned narrator.
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah]
Commentary:
However, the chain is weak due to the tadlees (concealing defects) of Younus bin Ubaid.
It is evident that nothing authentic has been proven regarding the validity of a lone man's prayer behind the row according to the Companions and Successors.
Regarding the opinion of Imam Shafi‘i (may Allah have mercy on him) and others that the prayer of such a person is valid, their argument is based on the narration of Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), which states that his mother, Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her), prayed alone behind the row. Since this was the first evidence presented by proponents, we have already discussed it in detail. The summary is that this Hadith specifically allows a woman to pray alone behind the row. It is incorrect to extend this allowance to men praying alone behind the row.
What if the First Row is Full?
The Hadiths of Sayyiduna Wabisa bin Ma‘bad and Sayyiduna Ali bin Shayban (may Allah be pleased with them) are clear that no prayer is valid for a lone individual behind the row, and if someone does so, they must repeat the prayer. Some people, without any evidence, try to make exceptions to these general Hadiths, saying that if the first row is full, then the prayer behind the row is valid. Similarly, some people, without evidence, exclude the follower and the one who caught the bowing position from the general Hadith that states the prayer is invalid without reciting Surah al-Fatiha. We say that when a Hadith is general, it cannot be limited to a specific situation without evidence.What Should a Person Do When They Arrive and the Row is Full?
If someone arrives for congregational prayer and finds that the row is full, there are two options:Pull Someone from the Row: They can pull one person from the front row to join them in forming a new row behind. The evidence for this is the Hadith of Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), which states that when he stood on the left of the Prophet (peace be upon him) during prayer, the Prophet (peace be upon him) took hold of him and moved him to his right. Later, Jabbar bin Sakhr (may Allah be pleased with him) joined them and stood on the Prophet’s left, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) moved both of them to the row behind.
[Sahih Muslim: 3010]
The scholars also support this action, as Imam Shu'bah bin Hajjaj narrates from Imam Ibrahim al-Nakha'i:
“If someone is left alone behind the row, they should either join the row or pull someone from the row to stand with them behind.”
[Musnad Ali bin al-Ja’d: 112; The chain is authentic.]
This clearly indicates that it is permissible for a lone person to pull someone from the front row to join them in forming a new row. The movement involved in this process is also permissible. If someone considers pulling a person from the row to be breaking the row and applies the warnings against breaking rows to this action, they are mistaken. Leaving the row for a valid reason is not considered breaking the row. For example, if someone loses their wudu during prayer, will they not leave the row? Certainly, they will. So, will this action be considered breaking the row, and will the first row be incomplete? Absolutely not. Therefore, it is incorrect to use the following Hadith to argue against this action:
“Whoever joins a row, Allah joins him with His mercy, and whoever breaks a row, Allah cuts him off from His mercy.”
[Musnad Imam Ahmad: 5724, Sunan Abi Dawood: 666; The chain is authentic.]
This Hadith pertains to someone who, without any valid reason, disrupts the rows, not to someone who pulls a person to form a new row based on authentic Hadiths.
Wait for Someone to Join:
If the person does not want to pull someone from the row or is unable to do so for some reason, they should wait until someone else arrives. If they fear that the congregation might end while waiting, they should not pray alone behind the row because praying alone behind the row is not permissible under any circumstances. Waiting might lead to missing the congregation, but praying alone behind the row will result in the prayer being invalid. In such a case, the person must repeat their prayer.