(Extracted from the book Namaz-e-Mustafa ﷺ by Abu Hamza Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi)
What a magnificent sight—prayer showcases love.”
"Straighten your rows, for indeed straightening the rows is part of establishing the prayer."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Book of Adhān, ḥadīth no. 723; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of Prayer, ḥadīth no. 975)
In Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, the phrase “Iqāmat aṣ-Ṣalāh” is used, and in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, the phrase “Min Tamām aṣ-Ṣalāh” is used, indicating that crooked or broken rows detract from the perfection of prayer. Sayyiduna Nu‘mān ibn Bashīr (RA) reported:
“The Prophet ﷺ would straighten our rows as if straightening an arrow, until he was sure we understood. One day, seeing a man’s chest protruding, he said:
‘O servants of Allah, straighten your rows or Allah will cause division among you.’
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth no. 979)
This proves the necessity of straightening rows in prayer.
“Beware! Do not leave your rows crooked, as crooked rows cause mutual discord, hearts to differ, and inner conflict.”
He ﷺ also said:
"Line up your rows, bring them close together, and align your necks. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, I see the devil entering through the gaps like small goats."
(Sunan Abū Dāwūd, Book of Prayer, ḥadīth no. 667 – authenticated by Albānī)
Sayyiduna Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib (RA) said the Prophet ﷺ would walk within the rows, aligning chests and shoulders, and said:
“Do not differ, lest your hearts become divided.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Sunan Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth no. 664)
Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (RA) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Establish your rows, align your shoulders, do not leave gaps, be gentle with the hands of your brothers, and do not leave space for the devil. Whoever connects a row, Allah will connect him; whoever cuts a row, Allah will cut him off."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Sunan Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth no. 666; Sunan al-Kubrā by Bayhaqī, 3/101)
“When standing in prayer, align your shoulders with those beside you, and your feet and ankles as well.”
Sayyiduna Nu‘mān ibn Bashīr (RA) added:
"I saw each man aligning his ankle with that of his neighbor."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Book of Adhān, Chapter: Shoulder-to-Shoulder)
Sayyiduna Anas (RA) also narrated:
“Straighten your rows, for I can see you from behind my back.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, ḥadīth no. 725)
He added that they would align shoulders and feet together upon hearing this.
➋ Crooked rows lead to disunity and the loss of love and harmony, which is evident in today's mosques—people stand with wide gaps and avoid touching feet, fostering division.
May Allah restore love and unity among Muslims. Āmīn.
﴿وَالصَّافَّاتِ صَفًّا﴾ – "By those who line up in rows"
(Aṣ-Ṣāffāt: 1)
Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (RA) and Qatādah stated this refers to the angels, who line up in rows in the heavens.
(Mukhtaṣar Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr, 5/135; Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī, 23/41)
Muslim narrated from Ḥudhayfah (RA) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“We have been granted superiority over others in three matters:
➊ Our rows have been made like the rows of angels.
➋ The whole earth has been made a place of prayer.
➌ Its soil serves as purification when water is not found.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth no. 522)
Sayyiduna Jābir ibn Samurah (RA) reported:
The Prophet ﷺ asked:
“Will you not form rows like the angels before their Lord?”
They asked, “How do the angels form rows?”
He replied:
“They complete the first rows and align them tightly like a solid structure.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth no. 430; Sunan Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth no. 661)
“Ibrāhīm al-Nakha‘ī said: Align your rows and shoulders, and stand close together, or else the devil will enter like a young goat. Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (RA) agreed that leaving gaps is impermissible until the rows are made straight.”
(Kitāb al-Āthār, Chapter on Row Formation, pp. 26–27)
“Complete the first row, then the one closest to it.”
(Sunan Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth no. 671; Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah, ḥadīth no. 1567; Ibn Ḥibbān, ḥadīth no. 390)
The intelligent and knowledgeable should stand behind the Imam to assist if needed. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Let those who are wise and understanding stand nearest to me, then those next best, and so on.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth no. 432)
If there’s no separate space for women, their row should come after the men and boys.
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of Trials, ḥadīth no. 2942)
Children may also stand with men, as Ibn ‘Abbās (RA) once prayed beside the Prophet ﷺ. This also proves that in two-person congregations, the follower should stand to the right of the Imam.
(Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, ḥadīth no. 997)
Sayyiduna Anas (RA) said:
“I and an orphan prayed behind the Prophet ﷺ in our home, and my mother Umm Sulaym stood behind us.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, ḥadīth no. 727; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth no. 658)
Avoid forming rows between columns, as the Companions refrained from this during the Prophet’s ﷺ time.
(Sunan Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth no. 673 – authenticated by Albānī)
“Do not differ, lest your hearts become divided.”
He also said:
“Verily, Allah and His angels send blessings upon those in the first rows.”
(Sunan Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth no. 664 – authenticated by Albānī)
“Verily, Allah and His angels send blessings upon those who stand on the right side of the rows.”
(Sunan Ibn Mājah, ḥadīth no. 1005; Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān, ḥadīth no. 393)
Ibn Ḥibbān graded it ṣaḥīḥ and Ibn Ḥajar said it is ḥasan.
● Virtue and Importance of Straight Rows in Prayer
“King and beggar stand equal in one row,What a magnificent sight—prayer showcases love.”
◈ Straightening the Rows is Obligatory
Sayyiduna Anas ibn Mālik (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:"Straighten your rows, for indeed straightening the rows is part of establishing the prayer."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Book of Adhān, ḥadīth no. 723; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of Prayer, ḥadīth no. 975)
In Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, the phrase “Iqāmat aṣ-Ṣalāh” is used, and in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, the phrase “Min Tamām aṣ-Ṣalāh” is used, indicating that crooked or broken rows detract from the perfection of prayer. Sayyiduna Nu‘mān ibn Bashīr (RA) reported:
“The Prophet ﷺ would straighten our rows as if straightening an arrow, until he was sure we understood. One day, seeing a man’s chest protruding, he said:
‘O servants of Allah, straighten your rows or Allah will cause division among you.’
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth no. 979)
This proves the necessity of straightening rows in prayer.
◈ Punishment for Not Straightening Rows
Sayyiduna Anas ibn Mālik (RA) said the Prophet ﷺ warned:“Beware! Do not leave your rows crooked, as crooked rows cause mutual discord, hearts to differ, and inner conflict.”
He ﷺ also said:
"Line up your rows, bring them close together, and align your necks. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, I see the devil entering through the gaps like small goats."
(Sunan Abū Dāwūd, Book of Prayer, ḥadīth no. 667 – authenticated by Albānī)
Sayyiduna Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib (RA) said the Prophet ﷺ would walk within the rows, aligning chests and shoulders, and said:
“Do not differ, lest your hearts become divided.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Sunan Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth no. 664)
Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (RA) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Establish your rows, align your shoulders, do not leave gaps, be gentle with the hands of your brothers, and do not leave space for the devil. Whoever connects a row, Allah will connect him; whoever cuts a row, Allah will cut him off."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Sunan Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth no. 666; Sunan al-Kubrā by Bayhaqī, 3/101)
◈ How to Straighten the Rows
Sayyiduna Anas ibn Mālik (RA) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:“When standing in prayer, align your shoulders with those beside you, and your feet and ankles as well.”
Sayyiduna Nu‘mān ibn Bashīr (RA) added:
"I saw each man aligning his ankle with that of his neighbor."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Book of Adhān, Chapter: Shoulder-to-Shoulder)
Sayyiduna Anas (RA) also narrated:
“Straighten your rows, for I can see you from behind my back.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, ḥadīth no. 725)
He added that they would align shoulders and feet together upon hearing this.
↰ Benefits Derived from These Aḥādīth
➊ The Prophet ﷺ greatly emphasized straightening the rows.➋ Crooked rows lead to disunity and the loss of love and harmony, which is evident in today's mosques—people stand with wide gaps and avoid touching feet, fostering division.
May Allah restore love and unity among Muslims. Āmīn.
◈ Align Your Rows Like the Angels
❀ Allah ﷻ says:﴿وَالصَّافَّاتِ صَفًّا﴾ – "By those who line up in rows"
(Aṣ-Ṣāffāt: 1)
Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (RA) and Qatādah stated this refers to the angels, who line up in rows in the heavens.
(Mukhtaṣar Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr, 5/135; Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī, 23/41)
Muslim narrated from Ḥudhayfah (RA) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“We have been granted superiority over others in three matters:
➊ Our rows have been made like the rows of angels.
➋ The whole earth has been made a place of prayer.
➌ Its soil serves as purification when water is not found.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth no. 522)
Sayyiduna Jābir ibn Samurah (RA) reported:
The Prophet ﷺ asked:
“Will you not form rows like the angels before their Lord?”
They asked, “How do the angels form rows?”
He replied:
“They complete the first rows and align them tightly like a solid structure.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth no. 430; Sunan Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth no. 661)
◈ Imām Abū Ḥanīfah’s View on Row Formation
Imām Muhammad ibn al-Ḥasan ash-Shaybānī (RA) reported:“Ibrāhīm al-Nakha‘ī said: Align your rows and shoulders, and stand close together, or else the devil will enter like a young goat. Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (RA) agreed that leaving gaps is impermissible until the rows are made straight.”
(Kitāb al-Āthār, Chapter on Row Formation, pp. 26–27)
◈ Rules Regarding Row Arrangement
Sayyiduna Anas (RA) reported:“Complete the first row, then the one closest to it.”
(Sunan Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth no. 671; Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah, ḥadīth no. 1567; Ibn Ḥibbān, ḥadīth no. 390)
The intelligent and knowledgeable should stand behind the Imam to assist if needed. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Let those who are wise and understanding stand nearest to me, then those next best, and so on.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth no. 432)
If there’s no separate space for women, their row should come after the men and boys.
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of Trials, ḥadīth no. 2942)
Children may also stand with men, as Ibn ‘Abbās (RA) once prayed beside the Prophet ﷺ. This also proves that in two-person congregations, the follower should stand to the right of the Imam.
(Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, ḥadīth no. 997)
Sayyiduna Anas (RA) said:
“I and an orphan prayed behind the Prophet ﷺ in our home, and my mother Umm Sulaym stood behind us.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, ḥadīth no. 727; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth no. 658)
Avoid forming rows between columns, as the Companions refrained from this during the Prophet’s ﷺ time.
(Sunan Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth no. 673 – authenticated by Albānī)
◈ Virtue of Standing in the First Row
Sayyiduna Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib (RA) reported that the Prophet ﷺ would walk along the rows, touching chests and shoulders, saying:“Do not differ, lest your hearts become divided.”
He also said:
“Verily, Allah and His angels send blessings upon those in the first rows.”
(Sunan Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth no. 664 – authenticated by Albānī)
◈ Virtue of Standing on the Right Side of the Row
Sayyidah ‘Ā’ishah (RA) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:“Verily, Allah and His angels send blessings upon those who stand on the right side of the rows.”
(Sunan Ibn Mājah, ḥadīth no. 1005; Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān, ḥadīth no. 393)
Ibn Ḥibbān graded it ṣaḥīḥ and Ibn Ḥajar said it is ḥasan.
