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.
وَعَن أنس قَالَ: أُقِيمَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِوَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ: «أَقِيمُوا صُفُوفَكُمْ وَتَرَاصُّوا فَإِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ ظَهْرِي» . رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ. وَفِي الْمُتَّفَقِ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ: «أَتِمُّوا الصُّفُوف فَإِنِّي أَرَاكُم من وَرَاء ظَهْري»
Anas said: The iqama * had been uttered and God’s Messenger faced us and said, “Make your rows straight and stand close together, for l can see you behind my back.” * A repetition of the words of the call to prayer after the worshippers have taken their places with the addition of a statement that the time of prayer has come. Bukhari transmitted it. In the version given by Bukhari and Muslim he said, “Make the rows perfect, for I can see you behind my back.”
وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَقِيمُوا الصُّفُوفَ وَحَاذُوا بَين المنكاكب وَسُدُّوا الْخَلَلَ وَلِينُوا بِأَيْدِي إِخْوَانِكُمْ وَلَا تَذَرُوا فرجات للشَّيْطَان وَمَنْ وَصَلَ صَفًّا وَصَلَهُ اللَّهُ وَمَنْ قَطَعَهُ قطعه الله» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد وَالنَّسَائِيّ مِنْهُ قَوْلَهُ: «وَمَنْ وَصَلَ صَفًّا» . إِلَى آخِرِهِ
Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, ‘‘Set the rows in order, stand shoulder to shoulder, close the gaps, be pliant in the hands of your brethren, and do not leave openings for the devil. If anyone joins up a row God will join him up, but if anyone breaks a row God will cut him off.” Abu Dawud transmitted it and Nasa’i transmitted from “If anyone joins up …” to the end.
وَعَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «سَوُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ فَإِنَّ تَسْوِيَةَ الصُّفُوفِ من إِقَامَة الصَّلَاة» . إِلَّا أَنَّ عِنْدَ مُسْلِمٍ: «مِنْ تَمَامِ الصَّلَاةِ»
He reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Straighten your rows, for the straightening of the rows is part of the iqama for prayer.” (Bukhari and Muslim, but Muslim has “part of the perfection of prayer.’’)
وَعَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَمْسَحُ مَنَاكِبَنَا فِي الصَّلَاةِ وَيَقُولُ: «اسْتَوُوا وَلَا تَخْتَلِفُوا فَتَخْتَلِفَ قُلُوبكُمْ ليليني مِنْكُم أولُوا الْأَحْلَامِ وَالنُّهَى ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ» . قَالَ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ: فَأَنْتُمُ الْيَوْمَ أَشَدُّ اخْتِلَافا. رَوَاهُ مُسلم
Abu Mas’ud al-Ansari said: God’s Messenger used to touch our shoulders at the prayer and say, “Keep straight; do not be irregular and so have your hearts irregular. Let those of you who are sedate and prudent be near me, then those who are next to them, then those who are next to them.” Abu Mas’ud said, “Nowadays you are much more irregular.” Muslim transmitted it.
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا وَمَا يَتَخَلَّفُ عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَّا مُنَافِقٌ قَدْ عُلِمَ نِفَاقُهُ أَوْ مَرِيضٌ إِنْ كَانَ الْمَرِيضُ لَيَمْشِي بَيْنَ رَجُلَيْنِ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ الصَّلَاةَ وَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَّمَنَا سُنَنَ الْهُدَى وَإِنَّ مِنْ سُنَنِ الْهُدَى الصَّلَاةُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الَّذِي يُؤَذَّنُ فِيهِ وَفِي رِوَايَة: ” مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَلْقَى اللَّهَ غَدًا مُسْلِمًا فليحافظ على هَؤُلَاءِ الصَّلَوَاتِ الْخَمْسِ حَيْثُ يُنَادَى بِهِنَّ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ شرع لنبيكم صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم سُنَنَ الْهُدَى وَإِنَّهُنَّ مِنْ سُنَنِ الْهُدَى وَلَوْ أَنَّكُمْ صَلَّيْتُمْ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ كَمَا يُصَلِّي هَذَا الْمُتَخَلِّفُ فِي بَيْتِهِ لَتَرَكْتُمْ سُنَّةَ نَبِيِّكُمْ وَلَوْ تَرَكْتُمْ سُنَّةَ نَبِيِّكُمْ لَضَلَلْتُمْ وَمَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ يَتَطَهَّرُ فَيُحْسِنُ الطُّهُورَ ثُمَّ يَعْمِدُ إِلَى مَسْجِدٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْمَسَاجِدِ إِلَّا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِكُلِّ خُطْوَةٍ يَخْطُوهَا حَسَنَةً وَرَفَعَهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً ويحط عَنْهُ بِهَا سَيِّئَةً وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا وَمَا يَتَخَلَّفُ عَنْهَا إِلَّا مُنَافِقٌ مَعْلُومُ النِّفَاقِ وَلَقَدْ كَانَ الرَّجُلُ يُؤْتَى بِهِ يُهَادَى بَيْنَ الرَّجُلَيْنِ حَتَّى يُقَام فِي الصَّفّ. رَوَاهُ مُسلم
‘Abdallah b. Mas’ud said: I have seen the time when no one stayed away from prayer except a hypocrite whose hypocrisy was well known, or a sick man, but if a sick man could walk with one on each side of him he would come to prayer. He also said: God’s Messenger taught us the paths of right guidance, among which is prayer in the mosque in which the adhan is called. In a version he said: If anyone would like to meet God tomorrow as a Muslim he should persevere in observing these five times of prayer where the announcement for them is made, for God has laid down for your Prophet the paths of right guidance, among which are the prayers. If you were to pray in your houses as this man who stays away prays in his house, you would abandon the practice of your Prophet, and if you were to abandon the practice of your Prophet you would go astray. No man purifies himself, doing it well, then makes for one of these mosques, without God recording a blessing for him for every step he takes, raising him a degree for it and removing a sin from him for it. I have seen the time when no one stayed away from it except a hypocrite who was well known as such, whereas a man would be brought swaying* between two men till he was set up in the row.” * Because he was too weak to walk alone. Muslim transmitted it.