The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to us and said: "How is it that I see you lifting your hands like the tails of headstrong horses? Be calm in prayer." He (the narrator) said: He then again came to us and saw us (sitting) in circles. He said: "How is it that I see you in separate groups?" He (the narrator) said: He again came to us and said: "Why don't you draw yourselves up in rows as angels do in the presence of their Lord?" We said: Messenger of Allah, how do the angels draw themselves up in rows in the presence of their Lord? He (the Holy Prophet) said: "They make the first rows complete and keep close together in the row."

خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ مَا لِي أَرَاكُمْ رَافِعِي أَيْدِيكُمْ كَأَنَّهَا أَذْنَابُ خَيْلٍ شُمْسٍ اسْكُنُوا فِي الصَّلاَةِ قَالَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا فَرَآنَا حَلَقًا فَقَالَ مَا لِي أَرَاكُمْ عِزِينَ قَالَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا فَقَالَ أَلاَ تَصُفُّونَ كَمَا تَصُفُّ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهَا فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَكَيْفَ تَصُفُّ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهَا قَالَ يُتِمُّونَ الصُّفُوفَ الأُوَلَ وَيَتَرَاصُّونَ فِي الصَّفِّ

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "(1) If people knew what is in the call to prayer and the first row, then found no way except to draw lots for it, they would draw lots. (2) If they knew what is in going early, they would race to it. (3) And if they knew what is in darkness ˹of the night˺ and Fajr, they would come to them even if crawling."

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: «(١) لَوْ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ مَا فِي النِّدَاءِ وَالصَّفِّ الأَوَّلِ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَجِدُوا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَسْتَهِمُوا عَلَيْهِ، لاَسْتَهَمُوا، (٢) وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِي التَّهْجِيرِ، لاَسْتَبَقُوا إِلَيْهِ، (٣) وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِي الْعَتَمَةِ وَالصُّبْحِ، لأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا».

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If the people knew what is the reward of making the call (for the prayer) and (of being in) the first row (in the prayer), and if they found no other way to get this privilege except by casting lots, they would certainly cast lots for it. If they knew the reward of the noon prayer, they would race for it, and if they knew the reward of the morning (i.e. Fajr) and ʿIsha prayers, they would present themselves for the prayer even if they had to crawl to reach there.

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

The best rows for men are the first rows, and the worst ones the last ones, and the best rows for women are the last ones and the worst ones for them are the first ones.

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَيْرُ صُفُوفِ الرِّجَالِ أَوَّلُهَا وَشَرُّهَا آخِرُهَا وَخَيْرُ صُفُوفِ النِّسَاءِ آخِرُهَا وَشَرُّهَا أَوَّلُهَا

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw (a tendency ) among his Companions to go to the back, so he said to them: Come forward and follow my lead, and let those who come after you follow your lead. People will continue to keep back till Allah will put them at the back.

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَأَى فِي أَصْحَابِهِ تَأَخُّرًا فَقَالَ لَهُمْ تَقَدَّمُوا فَائْتَمُّوا بِي وَلْيَأْتَمَّ بِكُمْ مَنْ بَعْدَكُمْ لاَ يَزَالُ قَوْمٌ يَتَأَخَّرُونَ حَتَّى يُؤَخِّرَهُمُ اللَّهُ

The Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) used to touch our shoulders in prayer and say: Keep straight, don't be irregular, for there would be dissension in your hearts. Let those of you who are sedate and prudent be near me, then those who are next to them, then those who are next to them. Abu Mas'ud said: Now-a-days there is much dissension amongst you.

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَمْسَحُ مَنَاكِبَنَا فِي الصَّلاَةِ وَيَقُولُ اسْتَوُوا وَلاَ تَخْتَلِفُوا فَتَخْتَلِفَ قُلُوبُكُمْ لِيَلِنِي مِنْكُمْ أُولُو الأَحْلاَمِ وَالنُّهَى ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ قَالَ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ فَأَنْتُمُ الْيَوْمَ أَشَدُّ اخْتِلاَفًا

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

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Make your rows straight, for straightening the rows is part of completing the prayer.’”

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

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Straighten your rows. for the straightening of a row is a part of the perfection of prayer.

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

The Prophet ﷺ said, "Straighten your rows for I see you from behind my back." Anas added, "Everyone of us used to put his shoulder with the shoulder of his companion and his foot with the foot of his companion."

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: «أَقِيمُوا صُفُوفَكُمْ، فَإِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ ظَهْرِي۔» وَكَانَ أَحَدُنَا يُلْزِقُ مَنْكِبَهُ بِمَنْكِبِ صَاحِبِهِ وَقَدَمَهُ بِقَدَمِهِ۔

Once the Iqama was pronounced and Messenger of Allah ﷺ faced us and said, "Straighten your rows and stand closer together, for I see you from behind my back.'

أُقِيمَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِوَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ أَقِيمُوا صُفُوفَكُمْ وَتَرَاصُّوا فَإِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ ظَهْرِي

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 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 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

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 Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Allah and His angels bless those who are on the right flanks of the rows.

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلاَئِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى مَيَامِنِ الصُّفُوفِ

When we prayed behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ we cherished to be on his right side so that his face would turn towards us (at the end of the prayer), and he (the narrator) said: I heard him say: O my Lord! save me from Thy torment on the Day when Thoil, wouldst raise or gather Thy servants.

كُنَّا إِذَا صَلَّيْنَا خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحْبَبْنَا أَنْ نَكُونَ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ يُقْبِلُ عَلَيْنَا بِوَجْهِهِ قَالَ فَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ رَبِّ قِنِي عَذَابَكَ يَوْمَ تَبْعَثُ أَوْ تَجْمَعُ عِبَادَكَ

The Prophet ﷺ said: Have the imam in the centre and close up the gaps.

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَسِّطُوا الإِمَامَ وَسُدُّوا الْخَلَلَ