The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would straighten our rows until it was as though he were straightening arrows, until he saw that we had understood it from him. 

Then one day he came out and stood (to lead the prayer˺ until he was about to say the takbir, when he saw a man whose chest was protruding out from the row. He said: “Servants of Allah, you must straighten your rows, or Allah will surely cause disagreement among you.”

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُسَوِّي صُفُوفَنَا حَتَّى كَأَنَّمَا يُسَوِّي بِهَا الْقِدَاحَ، 

حَتَّى رَأَى أَنَّا قَدْ عَقَلْنَا عَنْهُ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ يَوْمًا فَقَامَ حَتَّى كَادَ يُكَبِّرُ، فَرَأَى رَجُلاً بَادِيًا صَدْرُهُ مِنَ الصَّفِّ، فَقَالَ: «عِبَادَ اللَّهِ، لَتُسَوُّنَّ صُفُوفَكُمْ أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ وُجُوهِكُمْ».

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to straighten the rows until he made them like a spear or an arrow-shaft. Once he saw a man’s chest (sticking out) so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Make your rows straight or Allah will create division among you.’”

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ يَقُولُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُسَوِّي الصَّفَّ حَتَّى يَجْعَلَهُ مِثْلَ الرُّمْحِ أَوِ الْقِدْحِ قَالَ فَرَأَى صَدْرَ رَجُلٍ نَاتِئًا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ سَوُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ وُجُوهِكُمْ

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to straighten the rows until he made them like a spear or an arrow-shaft. Once he saw a man’s chest (sticking out) so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Make your rows straight or Allah will create division among you.’” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 994)

سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ يَقُولُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُسَوِّي الصَّفَّ حَتَّى يَجْعَلَهُ مِثْلَ الرُّمْحِ أَوِ الْقَدَحِ قَالَ فَرَأَى صَدْرَ رَجُلٍ نَاتِئًا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَا عِبَادَ اللهِ لَتُسَوُّنَّ صُفُوفَكُمْ أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللهُ بَيْنَ وُجُوهِكُمْ

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to straighten the rows until he made them like a spear or an arrow-shaft. Once he saw a man’s chest (sticking out) so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Make your rows straight or Allah will create division among you.’” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 994)

سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ وَهُوَ يَخْطُبُ وَيَقُولُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُسَوِّي الصَّفَّ حَتَّى يَدَعَهُ مِثْلَ الْقِدْحِ أَوِ الرُّمْحِ فَرَأَى صَدْرَ رَجُلٍ نَاتِئًا مِنَ الصَّفِّ فَقَالَ «عِبَادَ اللَّهِ لَتُسَوُّنَّ صُفُوفَكُمْ أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ وُجُوهِكُمْ»