Why do 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.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَلاَ تَصُفُّونَ كَمَا تَصُفُّ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَلَّ وَعَزَّ قُلْنَا وَكَيْفَ تَصُفُّ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ قَالَ يُتِمُّونَ الصُّفُوفَ الْمُقَدَّمَةَ وَيَتَرَاصُّونَ فِي الصَّفِّ  

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.  

سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ يَقُولُ أَقْبَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى النَّاسِ بِوَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ أَقِيمُوا صُفُوفَكُمْ ثَلاَثًا وَاللَّهِ لَتُقِيمُنَّ صُفُوفَكُمْ أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ قَالَ فَرَأَيْتُ الرَّجُلَ يُلْزِقُ مَنْكِبَهُ بِمَنْكِبِ صَاحِبِهِ وَرُكْبَتَهُ بِرُكْبَةِ صَاحِبِهِ وَكَعْبَهُ بِكَعْبِهِ  

the prophet ﷺ used to straighten us in the rows of prayer as the arrow is straightened, until he thought that we had learned it from him and understood it. One day he turned towards us, and shoulders in order, and say; Do not be irregular. And he would say: Allah and his Angels bless those who near the first rows.  

سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ يَقُولُ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُسَوِّينَا فِي الصُّفُوفِ كَمَا يُقَوَّمُ الْقِدْحُ حَتَّى إِذَا ظَنَّ أَنْ قَدْ أَخَذْنَا ذَلِكَ عَنْهُ وَفَقِهْنَا أَقْبَلَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ بِوَجْهِهِ إِذَا رَجُلٌ مُنْتَبِذٌ بِصَدْرِهِ فَقَالَ لَتُسَوُّنَّ صُفُوفَكُمْ أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ وُجُوهِكُمْ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pass through the row from one side to the other; he used to set out chests and shoulders in order, and say: Do not be irregular. And he would say: Allah and His angels bless those who are near the first rows.  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَتَخَلَّلُ الصَّفَّ مِنْ نَاحِيَةٍ إِلَى نَاحِيَةٍ يَمْسَحُ صُدُورَنَا وَمَنَاكِبَنَا وَيَقُولُ لاَ تَخْتَلِفُوا فَتَخْتَلِفَ قُلُوبُكُمْ وَكَانَ يَقُولُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلاَئِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى الصُّفُوفِ الأُوَلِ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to straighten our rows when we stood up to pray, and when we were straight, he said: Allah is most great (takbir).  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُسَوِّي صُفُوفَنَا إِذَا قُمْنَا لِلصَّلاَةِ فَإِذَا اسْتَوَيْنَا كَبَّرَ  

The Prophet ﷺ said: 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, Allah will join him up, but if anyone breaks a row, Allah will cut him off. Abu Dawud said: The name of Abu Shjrah is Kathir b. Murrah.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ أَقِيمُوا الصُّفُوفَ وَحَاذُوا بَيْنَ الْمَنَاكِبِ وَسُدُّوا الْخَلَلَ وَلِينُوا بِأَيْدِي إِخْوَانِكُمْ لَمْ يَقُلْ عِيسَى بِأَيْدِي إِخْوَانِكُمْ وَلاَ تَذَرُوا فُرُجَاتٍ لِلشَّيْطَانِ وَمَنْ وَصَلَ صَفًّا وَصَلَهُ اللَّهُ وَمَنْ قَطَعَ صَفًّا قَطَعَهُ اللَّهُ  

The Prophet ﷺ said: Stand close together in your rows, bring them near one another, and stand neck to neck, for by Him in Whose hand my soul is, I see the devil coming in through openings in the row just like a small black sheep.  

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ رُصُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ وَقَارِبُوا بَيْنَهَا وَحَاذُوا بِالأَعْنَاقِ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنِّي لأَرَى الشَّيْطَانَ يَدْخُلُ مِنْ خَلَلِ الصَّفِّ كَأَنَّهَا الْحَذَفُ  

Straighten your rows for the straightening of the rows is part of perfecting the prayer.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ سَوُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ فَإِنَّ تَسْوِيَةَ الصَّفِّ مِنْ تَمَامِ الصَّلاَةِ  

one day I prayed by the side of Anas b. Malik. He said ; Do you know why this stick is placed here ? I said : No, by Allah. He said; The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to put his hand upon it and say: Keep straight and straighten your rows.  

هَلْ تَدْرِي لِمَ صُنِعَ هَذَا الْعُودُ فَقُلْتُ لاَ وَاللَّهِ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَضَعُ يَدَهُ عَلَيْهِ فَيَقُولُ اسْتَوُوا وَعَدِّلُوا صُفُوفَكُمْ  

when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood for prayer, he took it (the stick) in his right hand and turning (to the right side) said; keep straight and straighten your rows. He then took it in his left hand and said; keep straight and straighten your rows.  

إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ إِذَا قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ أَخَذَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ فَقَالَ اعْتَدِلُوا سَوُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ ثُمَّ أَخَذَهُ بِيَسَارِهِ فَقَالَ اعْتَدِلُوا سَوُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ  

The Prophet ﷺ said: Complete the front row, then the one that comes next, and if there is any incompleteness, let it be in the last row.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ أَتِمُّوا الصَّفَّ الْمُقَدَّمَ ثُمَّ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ فَمَا كَانَ مِنْ نَقْصٍ فَلْيَكُنْ فِي الصَّفِّ الْمُؤَخَّرِ  

The Prophet ﷺ said: The best of you are those whose shoulders are soft in prayer.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ خِيَارُكُمْ أَلْيَنُكُمْ مَنَاكِبَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ