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prayer lines
amatullah
07/06/01 at 23:41:42
Bismillah and salam, Is the reason we straighten the lines of prayer and fill in the gaps and make the shoulders and feet touch the others a hadeeth? I seem to remember memorizing once that shaytan will go in and out of gaps hadeeth. But I cannot locate it now. Is it true? The prophet saws used to say "istawoo" before the prayers. But does anyone know the hadeeth of why we make a line and fill the gaps,etc?

Re: prayer lines
se7en
07/07/01 at 01:15:40
wa alaykum as salaam wa rahmatAllah, Here are some things I found with a search engine: [*] "From amongst the expressions for straightening the rows are: 'Istawoo' [straighten your lines], 'istaqeemoo' [be straight, upright], 'itadiloo' [align yourselves], and 'aqeemoo saf' [establish the rows].  It is clear from the guidance of the Prophet [saw] that these expressions were all used interchangeably." [*] 'Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that Allah's Messenger [saw] said what means: Make your rows straight, because the straightening of lines is part of the Aqamat of prayer. (Bukhari and Muslim) [Aqamat is sometimes translated as perfection or completion.] Imam ash-Shawkani notes that, "From this it is understood that straightening the lines is wajib." (Nayl ul-Aawtar)   [*] Ibn Umar reported that Allah's Messenger [saw] said what means: Establish your lines [straight], for indeed the angels [pray] in lines.  Align your shoulders, close the gaps, yield your hands to your brothers, and do not leave any gaps for Shaytan.  Whoever connects a line, Allah maintains him, and whoever breaks a line, Allah cuts him off. (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Nasaa`i & others)   [*] The Prophet [saw] said what means, Make good your standing in the rows during prayer. (Ahmad) And, Establish your lines [straight], and consolidate... (Bukhari, Muslim, and others)   Imaam al-Baghawi comments on the word "taraassoow" [translated here as consolidate] saying, "His saying taraassoow means to cling together until there are no gaps between you. As Allah said (what means), 'Surely Allah loves those who fight in His cause in ranks as if they were a solidified [marsoosan] wall.' (as-Saff 61:4) meaning they join together with each other. In this is the evidence that the Imaam should turn towards the people commanding them to straighten their lines." [*] Among the well known signs of an obligation or wajib, in usul ul-fiqh, is when the commanding verb is preceded by the Arabic letter laam. This type of laam is known as laam al-amr, or the commanding laam. Whenever it is used then we understand that the address is an obligation, unless it is accompanied by an act or saying which indicates that it is only reccommended. In the following texts, such laam precedes the verb, letting us know that the statement is a command: - Establish your lines [straight], [in one narration this follows: By Allah either you establish your lines [straight], or Allah will cause dissension in your hearts. (Abu Dawud)   - Straighten your lines or Allah will cause dissension to appear upon your faces. (Bukhari, Muslim and others)   Imaam an-Nawawi explains as follows, "Meaning that anger, animosity and disagreement will appear in the hearts. As when it is said, 'So and so's face changed towards me.' It means, 'his face shows his dislike for me.' So their differing in their rows is an apparent type of dissension, and outwardly evident differences are the cause for inner dissension" [*] Mentioning the "Laa" of prohibition The laa of prohibition is called such be cause it means, "Do not do such and such." In all such cases of prohibition (nahee), then it implies that the act is haraam, unless it is accompanied by an act or saying which indicates that it is only disliked.   The Prophet [saw] said what means, Do not leave gaps for Shaytan (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Nasaa-i & others)   Do not differ, or your hearts will dissent. (Muslim, Ahmad, Nasaa'i & others)   Do not let your lines be irregular or your hearts will dissent. (Abu Dawud, Nasaa-i & others) [*] The Prophet [saw] said what means, Beware of the gap. [ie, in prayer] (at-Tabaraanee in al-Kabeer & others)   [*] The Prophet [saw] said what means, 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 Sahih)   [*] The Prophet [saw] said what means, Whoever connects a line, he is maintained by Allah, and whoever breaks a line, Allah cuts him off. [*]  Umar and Bilaal are both reported to have hit the feet of people in order to straighten their lines. And as Ibn Hazm noted, they would not hit anyone unless he felt an obligation.   [*] Anas reported that in Madina 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." (Bukhari)
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