[Machine] We went from Mina to the prayer area, but the imam did not come out, so some of us sat down. A sheikh from the people of Kufa asked me, "What bothers you?" I said, "Ibn Bureida." The sheikh said to me, "Abdul Rahman bin Awsaja informed me about it, from Al-Bara bin Azib who said, "We used to stand in prayer in rows for a long time before the Prophet Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him would say the Takbir. He said, 'Indeed, Allah and His angels send prayers upon those who are in the first row, and there is no step that is more beloved to Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, than a step that a person takes to join a row.' And what was narrated from Ibn Bureida in this hadith was also narrated from Ali, who narrated it from Abu Khalid al-Walibi, who said, 'Ali bin Abi Talib came out to us while we were standing, and he said, 'Why do I see you sitting?' meaning instead of standing. Ibrahim an-Nakhai was asked if they were waiting for the imam while sitting or standing, and he said, 'No, rather, they were waiting while sitting. And it is more likely that they used to establish the prayer before the Prophet Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him came out, and they would take their positions before he took his. Then he commanded them not to stand for the prayer until they see him coming out as a lightening of difficulty for them.'"  

قُمْنَا بِمِنًى إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ وَالْإِمَامُ لَمْ يَخْرُجْ فَقَعَدَ بَعْضُنَا فَقَالَ لِي شَيْخٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ مَا يُقْعِدُكَ؟ قُلْتُ ابْنُ بُرَيْدَةَ قَالَ هَذَا السُّمُودُ فَقَالَ لِيَ الشَّيْخُ حَدَّثَنِي بِهِ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْسَجَةَ عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ قَالَ كُنَّا نَقُومُ فِي الصَّلَاةِ صُفُوفًا عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ طَوِيلًا قَبْلَ أَنْ يُكَبِّرَ قَالَ وَقَالَ إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَلُونَ الصَّفَّ الْأَوَّلَ وَمَا مِنْ خُطْوَةٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَى اللهِ جَلَّ ثَنَاؤُهُ مِنْ خُطْوَةٍ يَمْشِيهَا يَصِلُ بِهَا صَفًّا وَالَّذِي رُوِيَ عَنِ ابْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَدْ رُوِيَ أَيْضًا عَنْ عَلِيٍّ رُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي خَالِدٍ الْوَالِبِيِّ قَالَ خَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ؓ وَنَحْنُ قِيَامٌ فَقَالَ مَا لِيَ أَرَاكُمْ سَامِدِينَ يَعْنِي قِيَامًا وَسُئِلَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ النَّخَعِيُّ يَنْتَظِرُونَ الْإِمَامَ قِيَامًا أَوْ قُعُودًا؟ قَالَ لَا بَلْ قُعُودًا وَالْأَشْبَهُ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُقِيمُونَ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَبْلَ خُرُوجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَيَأْخُذُونَ مَقَامَهُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُمْ بِأَنْ لَا يَقُومُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ حَتَّى يَرَوْهُ قَدْ خَرَجَ تَخْفِيفًا عَلَيْهِمْ