Correcting the Lines for Prayer

By Abu Khaliyl.

Ibn 'Umar radiallaahu 'anhumma reported that Allah' Messenger sallaallaahu ' alayhi wa sallam said

" Establish your lines (straight) for indeed the angels (pray) in lines. Align your shoulders, close the gaps, yield your hands to your brothers, and do not leave any gaps for Shaytaan. Whoever connects a line, Allah maintains him, and whoever breaks a line, Allah cuts him off." (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasaa'ee).

Anyone who has prayed with different groups of people will probably have experienced the following situation: When you line up for prayer, the person next to you prevents your feet from touching theirs. If you try to move closer to them, they move away, if you persist trouble will most likely erupt.

The Evidence for Standing Four Fingers Away ?

Most people who stand away from their neighbour during group prayer do so simply out of custom. It would not be fair to claim that it is based upon a certain madhab (school of thought; i.e. Hanafi, Maliki, etc.), for one will not find it taught in any of the source books for the madhabs. For example, in the famous Hanafee fiqh book Haashiyah by Ibn 'Aabidayn, the only mention of one not touching the feet of their neighbour during group prayer is in the case of a man praying with his wife ! Similarly, it is not mentioned in al-Um by ash-Shaaf'ee. However, the opinion stating that it is allowable for one to stand four fingers width away from the person praying next to them, is collected in some comparative fiqh books ! This opinion, we hope to show, is pure baseless conjecture, and furthermore implementing it violates numerous general and specific texts which govern how to stand in line for group prayer.

Additionally, the manner in which the companions prayed in the presence of the Prophet sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam is an evidence for the Muslims to follow, especially when he sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said " ...For surely I can see you from behind my back..." (al-Bukhari).

Also he said so after commanding the companions to correct their lines. Were they to have not followed his command properly, or if they were excessive, then he, being able to see them in that state, surely would have corrected them further. And this is the argument against those who claim that concern over this matter constitutes excessiveness.

Furthermore, this opinion is one that requires the praying person to do an additional act, that is - to move away, whereas were he to stand still when the person next to him put his foot next to his, he would be doing less, and less action is the rule in prayer unless there is an evidence otherwise ! This is especially true in light of the texts as we will prove insha-Allah. The Command to Straighten the Rows and Close the Gaps, and that is Wajib. The Prophet sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said : " Make good your standing in the rows during prayer." (Ahmad, Ibn Hibaan), And : " Establish your lines (straight) and (taraassoow) consolidate..." (al-Bukhari, Muslim and others). Imaam al-Baghawee comments on the word taraassoow (translated here as consolidate) saying : 'His saying taraassoow means to cling together until there are no gaps between you. As Allah ta'ala said : " Surely Allah loves those who fight in His cause in ranks as if they were a solidified (maroosun) wall." (surah as-Saff 61:4). Meaning they join together with each other. In this is the evidence that the Imaam should turn towards the people commanding them to straighten their lines.' The Prophet sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam also said : " Straighten your lines, for indeed straightening the lines is part of the completeness of the prayer." (al-Bukhari, Muslim).

About which Imaam ash-Shawkaanee noted : ' From this it is understood that straightening the lines is wajib.'

And He sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam commanded " Close the gaps..." (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasaa'ee).

Ordering the Action by Way of a Verb Accompanied by the Laam of Command.

Among the well known signs of an obligation or wajib, in usool ul-fiqh, is when the commanding verb is preceded by the Arabic letter laam. This type of laam is known as laam al-amr, or the commanding laam. Whenever it is used, then we understand that the address is an obligation, unless it is accompanied by an act or saying which indicates that it is only recommended. In the following texts, such laam precedes the verb, letting us know that the statement is a command:

" Establish your lines (straight), (in one narration this follows; By Allah either you establish your lines (straight),) or Allah will cause dissension in your hearts." (Abu Dawud, Ibn Hibaan).

And " Straighten your lines or Allah will cause dissension to appear upon your faces." (al-Bukhari, Muslim, and others).

Imaam an-Nawawee explains :

" Meaning that anger, animosity and disagreement will appear in the hearts. As when it is said, 'So and so's face changed towards me.' It means, 'his face shows his dislike for me.' So their differing in their rows is an apparent type of dissension, and outwardly evident differences are the cause for inner dissension."

Mentioning the Laa of Prohibition.

The laa of prohibition is called such because it means, 'Do not do such and such.' In all such cases of prohibition (nahee) then it implies that the act is haram, unless it is accompanied by an act or saying which indicates that it is only disliked.

The Prophet sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said : " Do not leave gaps for Shaytaan." (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasaa'ee.)

And" Do not differ, or your hearts will dissent." (Muslim, Ahmad, and others).

And" Do not make your chests irregular, or your hearts will dissent." (Ibn Khuzaymah).

And" Do not let your lines be irregular or your hearts will dissent." (Abu Dawud, an-Nasaa'ee and others).

Warnings.

Warning against the Gaps

The Prophet sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said " Beware of the gap." Meaning in prayer. (at-Tabaraanee in al-Kabeer).

Gaps Invite Shaytaan

The Prophet sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said " Straighten your lines, and align your shoulders, and yield your hands to your brothers, and close the gaps, for indeed Shaytaan comes between you through them, just as the small lamb does." (Ahmad, at-Tabaraanee, and others).

Severe Warning of Being Cut Off From Allah.

" Whoever connects a line, he is maintained by Allah, and whoever breaks a line, Allah cuts him off." (See first hadeeth ref. of Ibn Umar).

And such a severe warning would not be issued for a deed that is simply recommended !

The Behaviour of the Companions.

Hitting the Feet.

Umar and Bilal radiallaahu anhumma are both reported to have hit the feet of people in order to straighten their lines. And as Ibn Hazm noted, they would not hit anyone unless he sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam left an obligation.

" Straighten the Lines" - Explained.

Anas radiallaahu 'anhu reported that in al-Madeenah he was asked whether he found anything to have changed from the time of the Prophet (sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) to which he replied : " I have not found any change except that you do not straighten your rows properly." (al-Bukhari).

It would be enough for us to understand his saying, taqeemoona as-Suffoof to mean simply, your lines are zig-zaged and you don't straighten them. But the following narration of Anas radiallaahu 'anhu enlightens us to the true meaning of straightening the lines : " After standing for prayer, before the takbeer, Allah's Messenger sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam faced the people and said : " Straighten your lines and consolidate, for indeed I see you from behind my back." (Two separate narrations from al-Bukhari and Muslim). In one narration Anas added : " I saw that one of us would connect his shoulder to the shoulder of his companion, and his heel to his heel, and if one were to do this today, one of you would flee as if he were an untameable donkey."

An-Nu'maan bin Basheer radiallaahu 'anhu said " ...So I saw a man clinging his shoulder to his companions shoulder, and his foot to his foot, and his ankle to his ankle." (al-Bukhari).

The Argument that Tightening the Lines Prevents Concentration.

After all of what we have noted, some people insist that standing closely to another during prayer causes them to have distracting thoughts. Due to this problem they believe that their prayer is more apt to be accepted if they stand away from the person next to them. However this is a poor excuse, because one lacks the ability to concentrate during prayer it is not an excuse to encourage Shaytaan to enter the ranks. And clearly the command as well as the virtue is with the people who pray close, not separately, as the Prophet sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said " The best of you is one with the friendliest shoulder in prayer." (Abu Dawud, and others).

Related Matters -

When two are Praying...

Ibn Hajar reports by way of Ibn Juraeej who said : " I said to Ataa, ' The man who prays with another man, where does he stand ?" He said ' Along his right.' I said ' He comes parallel to him until he aligns with him, neither of them is further back than the other ?' He said ' Yes' I said ' Do you like that he be equal with him until there is no gap between them ?' He said ' Yes." (Fath ul-Baaree - Kitab al-Athaan no. 57).

Prohibition of Praying Between Pillars or Columns.

It is obligatory for the people to line either ahead of or behind the threshold of any architectural structures in the Masjid. This is derived from the following reports :

Mu'awiyah bin Qurrah reports that his father said : " We were prohibited from aligning between as-sawaaree (fences, walls, pillars, etc.) during the time of Allah's Messenger sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, he drove us away from them." (Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibaan, Ibn Khuzaymah, and others).

And Abdul - Hameed bin Mahmood said : " I prayed with Anas bin Maalik one Friday, we (prayed) opposite the sawaaree, we went forward or backward, for Anas said, " We were prevented from this during the time of the Messenger of Allah sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam." (Abu Dawud, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhi, and others).

It is reported that Ibn Mas'ood radiallaahu 'anhu said " Do not line up between the sawaaree." (al-Bayhaqi, Ibn al-Qaasim).

Al-Bayhaqi commented " This is because the columns (prevent them from) connecting the line."

Imaam Maalik rahimahullaah said " There is no harm in the lines between the columns if the masjid becomes tight."

And Ibn Qudaamaah said" It is not disliked for the Imaam to stand between the sawaaree, only for the followers because it cuts their lines..." (al-Mughnee).

Abu Haneefah rahimahullaah said " It is disliked to stand between two pillars or in the corners or enclaves..." (Haashiyah Ibn Aabidayn).

Praying Alone Behind the Line.

There are numerous reports forbidding one to pray alone behind the line. The following is an example. Alee bin Shaybaan said " We prayed behind him - meaning the Prophet sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam - so the Prophet finished the prayer. He saw a man praying alone behind the line. The Prophet of Allah sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam waited until he finished his prayer then he said to him " Return to your prayer, for there is no prayer for the one alone behind the line." (Ibn Khuzaymah).

Pulling Someone Back to Form a Line.

There is no authentic evidence for pulling a person from the line ahead to form a new line when the prayer has begun already and one is late. However the texts supporting this are very weak or fabricated. (see Silsilat a-Ahaadeeth ad-Da'eefah).

What Should One DO in this Case?

Since it is confirmed that reports on commanding one to pull another back are not authentic, then it is not allowed for one to do it, rather it is obligatory for him to close any gaps in the lines (not to make them ! - eds. addition), and if not, then he prays alone and his prayer would be correct, for he has done all he can correctly do, and followed that which is legislated, and Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala has said '"Allah does not burden a soul beyond its ability." (surah al-Baqarah 2:286).

And Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala Knows Best, so we ask Allah to Guide us to be firm in establishing the prayer in the way revealed to us through His noble Prophet Muhammed, sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.

Acknowledgements :

This article appears courtesy of Hudaa (Guidance) An Islamic Publication, vol. 4. no. 1. Published by Jama'tul Istiqaamah, affiliated to Al-Qur'an was-Sunnah Society of North America. A monthly publication aiming 'to present Islam in its purest form' subscription details can be obtained by contacting

Jam'iat Ihyaa Minhaaj Al-Sunnah

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