Touching of feet in congregation Salāh.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykumwa-rahmatullāhiwa-barakātuh.

The answers to your questions follow below in sequence:

1. In the Hanafi School of thought, the feet are to face the qiblah with a space of about four fingers in between them. As such, we do not join the feet with the feet of the next person.
2. You should politely inform the Imām that you are an adherent of the Hanafi Madhab and that you will practice on the Hanafi School of thought.
3. In order to assist you to adhere to the Hanafi School of thought, you may inform the respected Imām that you sought the opinion of a Mufti of the Hanafi Madhab on this issue and that you have presented the meaning of the following Hadîth which refers to the feet touching the feet of a fellow Musallī in Salâh. Hereunder is the Ḥadīth in reference:

بَابُ إِلْزَاقِ المَنْكِبِ بِالْمَنْكِبِ وَالقَدَمِ بِالقَدَمِ فِي الصَّفِّ

725 - حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ خَالِدٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «أَقِيمُوا صُفُوفَكُمْ، فَإِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ ظَهْرِي، وَكَانَ أَحَدُنَا يُلْزِقُ مَنْكِبَهُ بِمَنْكِبِ صَاحِبِهِ، وَقَدَمَهُ بِقَدَمِهِ»[i]

Translation:

“Chapter pertaining to the joining of shoulder to shoulder and foot to foot in the row.”

Nabī Karīm mentioned: “Straighten your rows, for verily I can see you from behind me.” The narrator of the ḥadīth continues saying: “One of us would join his shoulder with the shoulder of his neighbor and his feet with his.”

Hāfiz Ibn-e-Hajar Asqalānī, a great and renowned Muhaddith explained the meaning of the Hadīth as follows:

(قوله باب إلزاق المنكب بالمنكب والقدم بالقدم في الصف) المراد بذلك المبالغة في تعديل الصف وسد خلله[ii]

Translation:

“The statement of Imām Bukhārī: Chapter pertaining to the joining of shoulder to shoulder and foot to foot in the row. The meaning of this Hadīth is to emphasize the importance of straightening the row and closing its gaps.”

In other words, the renowned Ḥadīth is not to be taken in its literal sense. It simply emphasizes on straightening the saff as is understood in many other Ahâdîth.

After presenting this explanation to your Imām, do not engage in any further debate with him. The point should be that you adhere to the Hanafi Mađhab and follow the advice of their Mufti’s.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Khalil Johnson

Student DarulIftaa
Canada 

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.