Hadith no-1

Narrated Anas bin Malik r.a: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Straighten your rows for I see you from behind my back.” Anas r.a added, “Everyone  of us used to put his shoulder with the shoulder of his companion and his foot with the foot of his  companion.” [1] {a} Sahih Bukhari, Hadith no-725 {b} Muslim, hadith no-436

Interpretation:

{1} Straightening the saffs (rows) in Salah is one of the important aspect of Salah. Rasulullah s.a.w. used to give utmost importance on straightening the rows before commencing the salah to the extent that it was the practice of Rasulullah s.a.w to turn towards the people before commencing the Salah and sometimes used to walk between the saffs ordering them to straighten their rows and not to leave any gap in between two person. Furthermore, he used to say that if you don’t straighten your rows then Shaytan (devil) will enter your hearts and will cause disunity amongst you. In this regard there are numerous ahadith which are very explicit in its own right. Though there are many interpretations amongst the scholars, few of them will be discussed below:

Hadith no-2

Al-Nu’man Ibn Bashir r.a said: “the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) paid attention to the  people and said three times; straighten your rows (in prayer); by Allah, you must straighten your rows, or Allah will certainly put your faces in contrary directions. I then saw that every person stood in prayer keeping his shoulder close to that of the other, and his knee close to that of the other, and his ankle close to that of the other.” [2] Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith no-662

Hadith no-3

Narrated by Abdullah Ibn Umar ra. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Set the rows in order, stand shoulder to shoulder, close the gaps….”  [3]Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith no-666

• Rasulullah s.a.w greatly emphasised on straightening the rows by mentioning this thrice as this can be seen from the above hadith. Furthermore, the Prophet s.a.w. will also encourage to make the saffs as the angels make. The following hadith no-3 will make it explicit:

Hadith no-4

Jabir b. Samurah r.a reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: “Why don’t you stand in rows as the angels do in the presence of their Lord? We asked: how do the angles stand in rows in the  presence of their Lord? He replied: they make the first row complete and keep close together in the row.” [4] {A} Muslim, hadith no-430 {B} Abu Dawud, hadith no-661 {C} Sunan an-Nasai, hadith no-816 {D} Sunan Ibn Majah, hadith no-992

Interpretation:

{2} The harm of not straightening the rows as mentioned in the above hadith is that it causes disunity in the hearts of people which we see in our daily lives.

• Therefore, when performing Salah with jama’ah one should ensure that the heels are in line and people stand shoulder to shoulder without leaving a gap in between.

• Rasulullah s.a.w has also persuaded by consoling the believers hearts by saying Allah and the angels sends special blessings on those who joins the saffs which will be clear from the hadith below:

Hadith no-5

It was narrated that ‘Aisha r.a said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Allah and His angels send blessings upon those who complete the rows, and whoever fills a gap, Allah will raise him one degree in status thereby.’” [5] {A} Sunan Ibn Majah, hadith no-995 Grade: Hasan {B} Kitab al Athar (Imam Muhammad r.a) hadith no-89

Hadith no-6

‏‏Narrated Anas bin Malik r.a: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Straighten your rows as the straightening of rows is essential for a perfect and  correct prayer.” [6] {A} Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith no-723 {B} Sahih Muslim, hadith no-433 {C} Abu Dawud, hadith no-668 {D} Sunan ad-Darimi, hadith no-1263 {E} Musnad Ahmad, vol-3:125

Interpretation:

{3} There are some who are of the opinion that when standing in the saff not only should the shoulders touch but also the feet. They deduce this from the words of Numan bin Basheer r.a (as mentioned in the above hadith no 2) that “I saw the people attaching their shoulders, knees and ankles to the person next to them.” However, Hafiz Ibn Hajar Asqalani r.a the famous Shafi’e scholar of Hadith and commentator of Sahih Bukhari states:

• “This implies an exaggeration in straightening of the rows and closing of the gaps.” [7] {A} Fath al Bari, vol-2:259 {B} UmdatulQari, vol-5/6:260/377 {C} Faidhul Bari, vol-2:302 {D} Irshadus Sari, vol-2:416]

Interpretation:

{4} Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri r.a states: “the meaning of this (i.e. the words of Numan bin Basheer r.a) according to all four Imams (Imam Abu Hanifa, Shafie, Malik, & Ahmad Ibn Hanbler.a) is that no such gap should be left open between two person that a third person can fill.” [7] Faidhul Bari, vol-2:302

• Thus the apparent meaning of Numan bin Basheer’s r.a statement is not meant as it is seemingly impossible to stand with composure with one’s knees and ankles touching the knees and ankles of the person next to him due to the fact that one may be toller than other and vice-versa next to each other.

• The scholars state that a person standing in Salah should create a gap of approximately four fingers between one’s two feet. [9] {a} Faidhul Bari, vol-2:302 {b} Sharhul Wiqaya

The saying: “Everyone  of us used to put his shoulder with the shoulder of his companion……..” (above hadith no-1) and “I then saw that every person stood in prayer…….” are the words of the main narrators of those two ahadith above by Anas r.a (hadith-1) and Numan bin Basheer  r.a (hadith-2), and NOT the sayings of the Prophet s.a.w.

Thus, above all, we should take in to consideration that we should avoid harming others by any means and that includes wide spreading the legs thus, harming others. The Prophet of Allah s.a.w has warned us from inflicting such harms to any fellow in the hadith below: 

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr r.a: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands. And a Muhajir (emigrant) is the one who gives up (abandons) all what Allah has forbidden.” [10] Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith no-10

References:

 [1] Sahih Bukhari, Hadith no-725 [2] SunanAbiDawud, Hadith no-662

[3]Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith no-666 [4] {A} Muslim, hadith no-430

{B} Abu Dawud, hadith no-661 {C} Sunan an-Nasai, hadith no-816

{D} Sunan Ibn Majah, hadith no-992

[5] {A} Sunan Ibn Majah, hadith no-995. Grade: Hasan {B} Kitab al Athar hadith no-89

[6] {A} Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith no-723 {B} Sahih Muslim, hadith no-433

{C} Abu Dawud, hadith no-668 {D} Sunan ad-Darimi, hadith no-1263

{E} Musnad Ahmad, vol-3:125

[7] {A} Fath al Bari, vol-2:259 {B} Umdatul Qari, vol-5/6:260/377

{C} Faidhul Bari, vol-2:302 {D} Irshadus Sari, vol-2:416

[8] Faidhul Bari, vol-2:302 [9] Ibid, (Sharhul Wiqaya).

[10] Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith no-10