Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.

ذِكْرُ مَا يُتَوَقَّعُ فِي الْمَأْمُومِينَ عِنْدَ تَرْكِهِمْ لِتَسْوِيَةِ الصُّفُوفِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ

ibnhibban:2175Sulaymān b. al-Ḥasan b. al-Minhāl b. Akhī al-Ḥajjāj al-ʿAṭṭār Bi-al-Baṣrah > ʿUbaydullāh b. Muʿādh b. Muʿādh from my father > Shuʿbah > Simāk > al-Nuʿmān b. Bashīr / Yakhṭub

“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)   

ابن حبّان:٢١٧٥أَخْبَرَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ الْمِنْهَالِ بْنِ أَخِي الْحَجَّاجِ الْعَطَّارُ بِالْبَصْرَةِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُعَاذِ بْنِ مُعَاذٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سِمَاكٌ قَالَ

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»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Muslim, Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Bayhaqī
muslim:436bYaḥyá b. Yaḥyá > Abū Khaythamah > Simāk b. Ḥarb > al-Nuʿmān b. Bashīr

The Messenger of Allah (may peace-be upon him) used to straighten our rows as it lie were straightening an arrow with their help until be saw that we had learnt it from him. One day he came out, stood up (for prayer) and was about to say: Allah is the Greatest, when he saw a man, whose chest was bulging out from the row, so he said: Servants of Allah, you hint straighten your rows or Allah would create dissension amongst you.  

مسلم:٤٣٦bحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ عَنْ سِمَاكِ بْنِ حَرْبٍ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ يَقُولُ 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  

ibnmajah:994Muḥammad b. Bashhār > Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > Simāk b. Ḥarb > al-Nuʿmān b. Bashīr

“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.’”  

ابن ماجة:٩٩٤حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ حَدَّثَنَا سِمَاكُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ

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  

ahmad:18400Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī > Zāʾidah > Simāk > al-Nuʿmān b. Bashīr

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to align us in rows until it was as if he was walking with us, touching our chests. When he wanted to make the takbir (proclamation for prayer), he saw a man whose chest was protruding, so he said, "Line up your rows or Allah will cause divisions among your faces."  

أحمد:١٨٤٠٠حَدَّثَنَا حُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ زَائِدَةَ عَنْ سِمَاكٍ عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ قَالَ

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُسَوِّينَا فِي الصُّفُوفِ حَتَّى كَأَنَّمَا يُحَاذِي بِنَا الْقِدَاحَ فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يُكَبِّرَرَأَى رَجُلًا شَاخِصًا صَدْرُهُ فَقَالَ لَتُسَوُّنَّ صُفُوفَكُمْ أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللهُ بَيْنَ وُجُوهِكُمْ  

ahmad:18441Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar And Ḥajjāj > Shuʿbah > Simāk b. Ḥarb > al-Nuʿmān b. Bashīr

“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)   

أحمد:١٨٤٤١حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ وَحَجَّاجٌ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ سِمَاكِ بْنِ حَرْبٍ قَالَ

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  

ذِكْرُ الْأَمْرِ بِتَسْوِيَةِ الصُّفُوفِ حَذَرَ مُخَالَفَةِ الْوُجُوهِ عِنْدَ تَرْكِهِ

ibnhibban:2165ʿUmar b. Muḥammad al-Hamdānī > Muḥammad b. Bashhār > Muḥammad > Shuʿbah > Simāk b. Ḥarb > al-Nuʿmān b. Bashīr

“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)  

ابن حبّان:٢١٦٥أَخْبَرَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ سِمَاكِ بْنِ حَرْبٍ

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

bayhaqi:2290[Chain 1] Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ > Abū ʿAbdullāh Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb > Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Wahhāb And Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad > Yaḥyá b. Yaḥyá [Chain 2] Abū al-Ḥasan al-ʿAlāʾ b. Muḥammad b. Abū Saʿīd al-Isfarāyīnī Bihā > Abū Sahl Bishr b. Aḥmad b. Bashīr > Ibrāhīm b. ʿAlī al-Dhuhlī > Yaḥyá b. Yaḥyá > Abū Khaythamah > Simāk b. Ḥarb > al-Nuʿmān b. Bashīr ؓ

The Messenger of Allah (may peace-be upon him) used to straighten our rows as it lie were straightening an arrow with their help until be saw that we had learnt it from him. One day he came out, stood up (for prayer) and was about to say: Allah is the Greatest, when he saw a man, whose chest was bulging out from the row, so he said: Servants of Allah, you hint straighten your rows or Allah would create dissension amongst you. (Using translation from Muslim 436b)   

البيهقي:٢٢٩٠أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ ثنا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَهَّابِ وَجَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَا ثنا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى (ح) وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الْعَلَاءُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْإِسْفَرَايِينِيُّ بِهَا أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو سَهْلٍ بِشْرُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ ثنا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الذُّهْلِيُّ ثنا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى أنبأ أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ عَنْ سِمَاكِ بْنِ حَرْبٍ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ ؓ يَقُولُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُسَوِّي صُفُوفَنَا حَتَّى كَأَنَّمَا يُسَوِّي بِهَا الْقِدَاحَ حَتَّى يَرَى أَنَّا قَدْ عَقَلْنَا عَنْهُ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ يَوْمًا فَقَامَ حَتَّى كَادَ يُكَبِّرُ فَرَأَى رَجُلًا بَادِيًا صَدْرُهُ مِنَ الصَّفِّ فَقَالَ عِبَادَ اللهِ لَتُسَوُّنَّ صُفُوفَكُمْ أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللهُ بَيْنَ وُجُوهِكُمْ  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ يَحْيَى