4/28. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 432a — Straight Rows
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
Hadith About Straightening Rows in Prayer and Unity of Hearts
Sahih Muslim : 432a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 432a
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ وَوَكِيعٌ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ التَّيْمِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم 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 .
Abu Mas'ud Narrated from:
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.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 432aIn-book reference : Book 4, Hadith 134USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 868
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 432a
This Hadith about straightening rows in prayer shows how much attention the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم gave to order in congregational salah. Abu Mas'ud reports that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم used to touch their shoulders and say, Keep straight, do not be irregular. The reason given in the Hadith is powerful but still clear: irregular rows can lead to dissension in hearts. He also said that those who are sedate and prudent should be near him, then those next to them, then those next to them. The report ends with Abu Mas'ud noting that people later had more dissension. The Hadith links outward order in prayer with inner harmony among worshippers.
What we learn from this hadith
- Rows in prayer should be kept straight.
- Irregularity in rows is linked in the Hadith with dissension in hearts.
- Sedate and prudent worshippers were told to stand near the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
- The narrator noticed that later people had more disagreement.
