“Ṣaff Bandi ke Aḥkām wa Masā’il” by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri:
If a man is praying with his wife or another maḥram woman, then:
❖ The man will stand in front,
❖ The woman will stand behind him.
It is established by the consensus (ijmāʿ) of the Ummah that a single woman constitutes a row when praying behind.
إن أبا طلحة دعا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى عمير بن أبي طلحة حين توفي، فأتاهم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فصلى عليه في منزلهم، فتقدم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وكان أبو طلحة وراءه، وأم سليم وراء أبي طلحة، ولم يكن معهم غيرهم
“When ʿUmayr bin Abī Ṭalḥah passed away, Abū Ṭalḥah رضي الله عنه invited the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ came and performed the funeral prayer at their home.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood in front, Abū Ṭalḥah stood behind him, and Umm Sulaym رضي الله عنها stood behind Abū Ṭalḥah.
There was no one else present besides them.”
[Sharḥ Maʿānī al-Āthār by al-Ṭaḥāwī: 1/508 | al-Mustadrak by al-Ḥākim: 1/365]
Its chain is authentic.
❖ Imām al-Ḥākim رحمه الله declared this ḥadīth authentic according to the conditions of al-Bukhārī and Muslim, and al-Ḏhahabī رحمه الله agreed with him.
This arrangement pertains specifically to the funeral prayer (Ṣalāt al-Janāzah) in which:
❖ A single man can stand alone behind the Imām.
However, in regular congregational prayers (farā’iḍ or nawāfil), a lone man standing behind the row renders the prayer invalid.
“I got married. On the night of my wedding, a number of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ were present.
When the time for prayer arrived, Abū Dharr رضي الله عنه intended to lead the prayer, but Ḥudhayfah رضي الله عنه pulled him back and said,
‘The owner of the house has more right to lead the prayer.’ Then he asked Abū Masʿūd رضي الله عنه,
‘Is that correct?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’
Abū Saʿīd continues: So I stepped forward and led the prayer, although I was a slave at the time.
They instructed me: “When you go to your wife, pray two rakʿahs, and if she also wishes to pray, she should do so behind you.””
[al-Awsaṭ by Ibn al-Mundhir: 4/156 – ḥasan chain]
[Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 2/217 – abridged]
Congregational Prayer with One Man and One Woman
If a man is praying with his wife or another maḥram woman, then:
❖ The man will stand in front,
❖ The woman will stand behind him.
It is established by the consensus (ijmāʿ) of the Ummah that a single woman constitutes a row when praying behind.
❀ Narration of ʿAbdullāh bin Abī Ṭalḥah رحمه الله:
إن أبا طلحة دعا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى عمير بن أبي طلحة حين توفي، فأتاهم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فصلى عليه في منزلهم، فتقدم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وكان أبو طلحة وراءه، وأم سليم وراء أبي طلحة، ولم يكن معهم غيرهم
“When ʿUmayr bin Abī Ṭalḥah passed away, Abū Ṭalḥah رضي الله عنه invited the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ came and performed the funeral prayer at their home.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood in front, Abū Ṭalḥah stood behind him, and Umm Sulaym رضي الله عنها stood behind Abū Ṭalḥah.
There was no one else present besides them.”
[Sharḥ Maʿānī al-Āthār by al-Ṭaḥāwī: 1/508 | al-Mustadrak by al-Ḥākim: 1/365] Its chain is authentic.❖ Imām al-Ḥākim رحمه الله declared this ḥadīth authentic according to the conditions of al-Bukhārī and Muslim, and al-Ḏhahabī رحمه الله agreed with him.
Important Clarification:
This arrangement pertains specifically to the funeral prayer (Ṣalāt al-Janāzah) in which:
❖ A single man can stand alone behind the Imām.
However, in regular congregational prayers (farā’iḍ or nawāfil), a lone man standing behind the row renders the prayer invalid.
❀ Narration of Abū Saʿīd رحمه الله, freed slave of Sayyidunā Abū Usayd رضي الله عنه:
“I got married. On the night of my wedding, a number of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ were present.
When the time for prayer arrived, Abū Dharr رضي الله عنه intended to lead the prayer, but Ḥudhayfah رضي الله عنه pulled him back and said,
‘The owner of the house has more right to lead the prayer.’ Then he asked Abū Masʿūd رضي الله عنه,
‘Is that correct?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’
Abū Saʿīd continues: So I stepped forward and led the prayer, although I was a slave at the time.
They instructed me: “When you go to your wife, pray two rakʿahs, and if she also wishes to pray, she should do so behind you.””
[al-Awsaṭ by Ibn al-Mundhir: 4/156 – ḥasan chain] [Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 2/217 – abridged]
