وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسلم: «إِن اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى مَيَامِنِ الصُّفُوفِ» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد
‘A’isha reported God’s Messenger as saying, “God and His angels bless those who are on the right flanks of the rows.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.
وَعَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُسَوِّي صُفُوفَنَا إِذَا قُمْنَا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَإِذَا اسَتْوَيْنَا كَبَّرَ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد
An-Nu‘man b. Bashir said: God’s Messenger used to straighten our rows when we stood up to pray, and when we were straight he said, “God is most great.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.
وَعَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ: «اعْتَدِلُوا سَوُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ» . وَعَنْ يَسَارِهِ: «اعْتَدِلُوا سَوُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُ
Anas told how God’s Messenger used to say to those on his right, ‘‘Keep straight and straighten your rows,” and say the same to those on his left. Abu Dawud transmitted it.
وَعَنْ بِلَالِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا تَمْنَعُوا النِّسَاءَ حُظُوظَهُنَّ مِنَ الْمَسَاجِدِ إِذَا اسْتَأْذَنَّكُمْ» . فَقَالَ بِلَالٌ: وَاللَّهِ لَنَمْنَعُهُنَّ. فَقَالَ لَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ: أَقُولُ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَتقول أَنْت لنمنعهن وَفِي رِوَايَةِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَسَبَّهُ سَبًّا مَا سَمِعْتُ سَبَّهُ مِثْلَهُ قَطُّ وَقَالَ: أُخْبِرُكَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَتَقُولُ: وَاللَّهِ لنمنعهن. رَوَاهُ مُسلم
Bilal b. ‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar on his father’s authority reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Do not prevent the women from their shares in the mosques when they ask your permission.” Bilal said, “I swear by God I will certainly prevent them.” ‘Abdallah replied, “I tell you that God’s Messenger said it, yet you say you will certainly prevent them!” In a version by Salim,* his father is reported as saying: ‘Abdallah confronted him, and reviling him in terms the like of which I have never heard at any other time, he said, “I give you information on the authority of God’s Messenger, yet you say, ‘I swear by God I will certainly prevent them’!” * He is Salim b. ‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar b. al-Khattab. Muslim transmitted it.
وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «خِيَارُكُمْ أَلْيَنُكُمْ مَنَاكِبَ فِي الصَّلَاة» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد
Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying, ‘‘The best of you are those whose shoulders give least annoyance in prayer.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.
وَعَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «لَا يَمْنَعَنَّ رَجُلٌ أَهْلَهُ أَنْ يَأْتُوا الْمَسَاجِدَ» . فَقَالَ ابْنٌ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ: فَإِنَّا نَمْنَعُهُنَّ. فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ: أُحَدِّثُكَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَتَقُولُ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: فَمَا كَلَّمَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ حَتَّى مَاتَ. رَوَاهُ أَحْمد
Mujahid, on the authority of ‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar, reported the Prophet as saying, “No man must prevent his family from coming to the mosques.” A son of ‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar said, “I will certainly prevent them,” whereupon ‘Abdallah said, “I tell you something from God’s Messenger, and you say this!” He said that ‘Abdallah did not speak to him during the remainder of his life. Ahmad transmitted it.
عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُول: «اسْتَووا اسْتَوُوا اسْتَوُوا فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنِّي لَأَرَاكُمْ من خَلْفي كَمَا أَرَاكُم من بَين يَدي» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد
Anas told how the Prophet used to say, ‘‘Keep in alignment, keep in alignment, keep in alignment, for by Him in whose hand my soul is, I can see you behind me just as I see you in front of me.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.
عَن النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُسَوِّي صُفُوفَنَا حَتَّى كَأَنَّمَا يُسَوِّي بِهَا الْقِدَاحَ حَتَّى رَأَى أَنَّا قَدْ عَقَلْنَا عَنْهُ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ يَوْمًا فَقَامَ حَتَّى كَادَ أَنْ يُكَبِّرَ فَرَأَى رَجُلًا بَادِيًا صَدْرُهُ مِنَ الصَّفِّ فَقَالَ: «عِبَادَ اللَّهِ لَتُسَوُّنَّ صُفُوفَكُمْ أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ وُجُوهِكُمْ» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم
An-Nu‘man b. Bashir said: God’s Messenger used to straighten our rows as if he were trying to make them as straight as arrows until he saw that we had learned it from him. One day he came out, stood up, and was just about to say God is most great ’ when he saw a man whose chest projected from the row, so he said, “Servants of God, you must straighten your rows, or God will certainly put your faces in contrary directions.”* * The use of “faces” here may mean the people themselves and their inner nature. The tradition may refer to civil strife, which is possibly the meaning of the tradition below from Abu Mas’ud. Muslim transmitted it.
وَعَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى الصَّفِّ الْأَوَّلِ» قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَعَلَى الثَّانِي قَالَ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى الصَّفِّ الْأَوَّلِ» قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَعَلَى الثَّانِي قَالَ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى الصَّفِّ الْأَوَّلِ» قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ الله وعَلى الثَّانِي؟ قَالَ: «وعَلى الثَّانِي» قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «سَوُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ وَحَاذُوا بَيْنَ مَنَاكِبِكُمْ وَلِينُوا فِي أَيْدِي إِخْوَانِكُمْ وَسُدُّوا الْخَلَلَ فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَدْخُلُ بَيْنَكُمْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْحَذَفِ» يَعْنِي أَوْلَادَ الضَّأْنِ الصِّغَارِ. رَوَاهُ أَحْمد
Abu Umama reported God’s Messenger as saying, ‘‘God and His angels bless the first row.” On being asked whether this applied to the second, he said, ‘‘God and His angels bless the first row.” He was again asked if it applied to the second and said, ‘‘God and His angels bless the first row.” When asked once again if it applied to the second he said, ‘‘And the second.” And God’s Messenger said, ‘‘Straighten your rows, stand shoulder to shoulder, be pliant in the hands of your brethren,* and close up the gaps, for the devil enters through openings like the hadhaf i.e., small lambs. * Here, as in the last tradition of section II, warning is given against jostling one’s neighbours during prayer. At the same time instruction is given that no gaps should be left. Ahmad transmitted it.
وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسلم يَقُول: «إِذَا أُقِيمَتِ الصَّلَاةُ وَوَجَدَ أَحَدُكُمُ الْخَلَاءَ فَلْيَبْدَأْ بِالْخَلَاءِ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَرَوَى مَالِكٌ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيّ نَحوه
‘Abdallah b. Arqam said he heard God’s Messenger say, “When the time for prayer comes and one of you needs to relieve himself, he should do that first.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Malik, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted something similar.