"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered upon us and the only people present were myself, my mother, the orphan and Umm Harh, my maternal aunt. He said: 'Stand up and I will lead you in prayer.' It was not the time for a (prescribed) prayer. And he led us in prayer."
Chapter 20: When there are two men and two women - كتاب الإمامة
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مُخْتَارٍ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ هُوَ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأُمُّهُ وَخَالَتُهُ فَصَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَجَعَلَ أَنَسًا عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَأُمَّهُ وَخَالَتَهُ خَلْفَهُمَا .
It was narrated from Anas that he and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and his mother, and his maternal aunt (were together). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed, and he told Anas to stand on his right and his mother and maternal aunt behind them.
"I stayed overnight with my maternal aunt Maimunah, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got up to pray at night. I stood on his left, so he did this to me: He took me by the head and made me stand on
his right."
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to gently pat our shoulders (to make sure the row was straight) at the time of prayer, and he-would say:'Keep (the rows) straight; do not differ from one another lest your hearts would be afflicted with discord. Let those who are mature and wise stand closest to me, then those who are next to them, then those who are next to them."' Abu Mas'ud said: Today, there is much disharmony among you. ,Abu 'Abdur-Rabin (An-Nasai)said: (One of the narrators) Abu Ma'mar's name is 'Abdullah bin Sakhbarah.
"While I was in the Masjid in the first row, a man pulled me from behind and moved me aside, and took my place. By Allah, I could not focus on my prayer, then when he left I saw that it was Ubayy bin Ka'b. He said: '0 boy, may Allah protect you from harm. This is what the Prophet instructed us to do, to stand directly behind him.' Then he (Ubayy) turned to face the Qiblah and said: 'Doomed are Ah1 Al-'Uqd, by the Lord of the Ka'bah! - three times.'Then he said: 'By Allah, I am not sad for them, but I am sad for the people whom they have misled.' I said: '0 Abu Ya'qub, what do you mean by Ah1 Al-'Uqd?' He said: 'The rulers."'
Chapter 24: Setting up rows before the Imam comes out - كتاب الإمامة
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ أُقِيمَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَقُمْنَا فَعُدِّلَتِ الصُّفُوفُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَتَانَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَتَّى إِذَا قَامَ فِي مُصَلاَّهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُكَبِّرَ فَانْصَرَفَ فَقَالَ لَنَا
" مَكَانَكُمْ " . فَلَمْ نَزَلْ قِيَامًا نَنْتَظِرُهُ حَتَّى خَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا قَدِ اغْتَسَلَ يَنْطِفُ رَأْسُهُ مَاءً فَكَبَّرَ وَصَلَّى .
Abu Salamah bin 'Abdur Rahman narrated that he heard Abu Hurairah say:
"The Iqamah for prayer was said, and we stood up and the rows were straightened, before the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out to us. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to us and stood in the place where he prayed, before he said the Takbir he paused and said to us: 'Stay where you are.' So we stayed there, waiting for him, until he came out to us; he had performed Ghusl and his head was dripping with water. Then he said the Takbir and prayed."
Chapter 25: How the Imam should straighten the rows - كتاب الإمامة
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا أَبُو الأَحْوَصِ، عَنْ سِمَاكٍ، عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ، قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُقَوِّمُ الصُّفُوفَ كَمَا تُقَوَّمُ الْقِدَاحُ فَأَبْصَرَ رَجُلاً خَارِجًا صَدْرُهُ مِنَ الصَّفِّ فَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ
" لَتُقِيمُنَّ صُفُوفَكُمْ أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ وُجُوهِكُمْ " .
It was narrated that An-Numan bin Bashir said:
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to straighten the rows like shaft of an arrow is straightened before the head is attached to it. He saw a man whose chest was sticking out from the row. I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: 'Make your rows straight or Allah will cause your faces to be deformed."
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to go between the rows from one side to another, patting our shoulders and chests and saying: 'Do not make your rows ragged or your hearts will be filled with enmity toward one another.' And he used to say: 'Allah and His angels send Salah upon the front rows."'
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to gently pat our shoulders (to make sure the row was straight) at the time of prayer, and he would say: 'Keep (the rows) straight; do not differ from one another lest your hearts should suffer from discord. Let those who are mature and wise stand closest to me, then those who are next to them, then those who are next to them."'
It was narrated from Anas that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to say:
"Make your rows straight, make your rows straight, make your rows straight. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! I can see you behind me as I can see you in front of me."
Chapter 28: The Imam encouraging (worshippers) to make the rows solid and stand close to one another - كتاب الإمامة
أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، أَنْبَأَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِوَجْهِهِ حِينَ قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُكَبِّرَ فَقَالَ
" أَقِيمُوا صُفُوفَكُمْ وَتَرَاصُّوا فَإِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ ظَهْرِي " .
It was narrated that Anas said:
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)turned to face us when he stood up to pray, before he said the Takbir and said: 'Make your rows straight and come close to one another, for I can see you behind my back."'
"Make your rows solid and close together, and keep your necks in line. By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad! I can see the shaitan entering through the gaps in the rows as if they are small sheep."
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out to us and said:'Will you not form rows as the angels form rows before their Lord? They said: 'How do the angels form rows before their lord? He said: 'They complete the first row and fill the gaps in the rows."'
Chapter 32: The best row for women and the worst row for men - كتاب الإمامة
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم
" خَيْرُ صُفُوفِ الرِّجَالِ أَوَّلُهَا وَشَرُّهَا آخِرُهَا وَخَيْرُ صُفُوفِ النِّسَاءِ آخِرُهَا وَشَرُّهَا أَوَّلُهَا " .
It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The best rows for men are the front rows and the worst are the last, and the best rows for women are the back rows and the worst are those in the front."'
It was narrated that 'Abdul Hamid bin Mahmud said:
"We were with Anas and we prayed with
one of the Amirs. They pushed us until we stood and prayed between two rows, and Anas started moving backward and said: 'We used to avoid this at the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)."
Chapter 35: The Imam should make the prayer short - كتاب الإمامة
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ
" إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ بِالنَّاسِ فَلْيُخَفِّفْ فَإِنَّ فِيهِمُ السَّقِيمَ وَالضَّعِيفَ وَالْكَبِيرَ فَإِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ لِنَفْسِهِ فَلْيُطَوِّلْ مَا شَاءَ " .
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (ﷺ)said:
"When any one of you leads the people in prayer, let him make it short, for among them are the sick, the weak and the elderly. And when any one of you prays by himself, let him make it as long as he wishes."