4. The Book of Prayers

٤۔ كتاب الصلاة

4.28 Straightening The Rows; The Virtue Of The Front Row And Then The Next; Competing With One Another For The Front Row; The People Of Virtue Should Take Precedence And Be Closest To The Imam

٤۔٢٨ باب تَسْوِيَةِ الصُّفُوفِ وَإِقَامَتِهَا وَفَضْلِ الأَوَّلِ فَالأَوَّلِ مِنْهَا وَالاِزْدِحَامِ عَلَى الصَّفِّ الأَوَّلِ وَالْمُسَابَقَةِ إِلَيْهَا وَتَقْدِيمِ أُولِي الْفَضْلِ وَتَقْرِيبِهِمْ مِنَ الإِمَامِ

(248) bukhari:723Abū al-Walīd > Shuʿbah > Qatādah > Anas

The Prophet ﷺ said, "Straighten your rows as the straightening of rows is essential for a perfect and correct prayer. "  

(٢٤٨) البخاري:٧٢٣حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ سَوُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ فَإِنَّ تَسْوِيَةَ الصُّفُوفِ مِنْ إِقَامَةِ الصَّلاَةِ  

(249) bukhari:718Abū Maʿmar > ʿAbd al-Wārith > ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz > Anas

The Prophet ﷺ said, "Straighten your rows, for I see you from behind my back.'  

(٢٤٩) البخاري:٧١٨حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَعْمَرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ عَنْ أَنَسٍ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ أَقِيمُوا الصُّفُوفَ فَإِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ خَلْفَ ظَهْرِي  

(250) bukhari:717Abū al-Walīd Hishām b. ʿAbd al-Malik > Shuʿbah > ʿAmr b. Murrah > Sālim b. Abū al-Jaʿd > al-Nuʿmān b. Bashīr

The Prophet ﷺ said, "Straighten your rows or Allah will alter your faces."  

(٢٥٠) البخاري:٧١٧حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ هِشَامُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ مُرَّةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سَالِمَ بْنَ أَبِي الْجَعْدِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ يَقُولُ

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لَتُسَوُّنَّ صُفُوفَكُمْ أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ وُجُوهِكُمْ  

(251) bukhari:615ʿAbdullāh b. Yūsuf > Mālik > Suma a freed slave of Abū Bakr > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If the people knew the reward for pronouncing the Adhan and for standing in the first row (in congregational prayers) and found no other way to get that except by drawing lots they would draw lots, and if they knew the reward of the Zuhr prayer (in the early moments of its stated time) they would race for it (go early) and if they knew the reward of ʿIsha' and Fajr (morning) prayers in congregation, they would come to offer them even if they had to crawl."  

(٢٥١) البخاري:٦١٥حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ عَنْ سُمَىٍّ مَوْلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ مَا فِي النِّدَاءِ وَالصَّفِّ الأَوَّلِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَجِدُوا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَسْتَهِمُوا عَلَيْهِ لاَسْتَهَمُوا وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِي التَّهْجِيرِ لاَسْتَبَقُوا إِلَيْهِ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِي الْعَتَمَةِ وَالصُّبْحِ لأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا