Connecting the Lines for Prayer
Creator: Abu Khaliyl
Date: 2007-07-25
Format: text
Identifier: http://www.qss.org/articles/lines.html
Language: en
Subject: prayer
Title: Connecting the Lines for Prayer
Created on: Wed Jul 25 21:05:47 -0400 2007
Updated on: Wed Jul 25 21:05:47 -0400 2007
Version: 1
Abstract: ... not leave gaps for Shaytaan (Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa`ee and others. Saheeh ul-Jaami no 1189) Do not differ, or your hearts will dissent. (Muslim, Ahmad, an-Nasaa`ee and others.) Do not make your chests irregular, or your hearts will dissent. (Ibn Khuzaymah See Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb no. 513) Do not let your lines be irregular or your hearts will dissent. (Aboo Daawood, an Nasaa`ee and others. See Saheeh at- Targheeb wat-Tarheeb no. 513) Warnings Warning aginst the gaps The Prophet said, Beware of the gap. Meaning in prayer (at- Tabaraanee in al-Kabeer and others, see as-Saheehah no. 1757) Gaps invite Shaytaan The Prophet said, Straighten your lines, and align your shoulders, and yield your hands to your brothers, and close the gaps, for indeed Shaytaan comes between you through them, just as the small lamb does. (Ahmad, at-Tabaraanee and others and it is Saheeh.)(4) Severe warning of being cut off from Allaah (AWJ) Whoever connects a line, he is maintained by Allaah (AWJ), and whoever breaks a line, Allaah (AWJ) cuts him off. (See note for first hadeeth.) And such a severe warning would not be issued for a deed that is simply recommended. The Behavior of the Companions Hitting the feet Umar and Bilaal are both reported to have hit the feet of people in order to straighten their lines.(5) And as Ibn Hazm noted, they would not hit anyone unless he felt an obligation. "Straighten the lines" explained Anas reported that in al-Madeenah he was asked whether he found anything to have changed from the time of the Prophet , to which he replied, "I have not found any change except that you do not straighten your rows properly." (Al-Bukhaaree) It would be enough for us to understand his saying, "taqeemoona as-sufoof" to mean simply, your lines are zig-zagged and you don't straighten them. But the following narration of Anas enlightens us to the true meaning of straightening the lines "[After standing for prayer, before the takbeer, Allaah (AWJ)'s Messenger faced the people and said:] Straighten your lines and consolidate, for indeed I see you from behind my back. (Two separate narrations from Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.) In one narration Anas added, "I saw that one of us would connect his shoulder to the shoulder of his companion, and his heel to his heel, and if one were to do this today, one of you would flee as if he were an untamable donkey."(6) An-Nu'maan bin Basheer said, "...So I saw a man clinging his shoulder to his companion's shoulder, and his foot to his foot, and his ankle to his ankle." (Al-Bukhaaree) The Argument that Tightening the Lines Prevents Concentration After all of what we have noted, some people insist that standing closely to another during prayer causes them to have distracting thoughts. Due to this problem they believe that their prayer is more apt to be accepted if they stand away from the person next to them. However this is a poor excuse, because one's lack of ability to concentrate during prayer is not a reason for him to encourage Shaytaan to enter the ranks; And clearly the command as well as the virtue is with the people who pray close not separately as the Prophet said, The best of you is the one with the friendliest shoulder in prayer. (Aboo Daawood and others. It is hasan according to al- Albaanee, Saheeh ul-Jaami no. 3264) Related Matters When two are praying... Ibn Hajar reports by way of Ibn Juraeej who said, "I said to Ataa, 'the man who prays with another man, where does he stand?' He said, 'Along his right.' I said, 'He comes parallel to him until he aligns with him, neither of them is further back than the other?' He said, 'Yes.' I said, 'Do you like that he be equal with him until there... [Full Article...]
