Fatwa #82532 April 2003India
I would like to know how should we stand when offering our prayers in a mosque. i.e with the imam
Question
Recently my father told me that a person in the mosque told him that one should stand in a line when standing to offer prayer with other people behind the imam. He said that this line is measured from the fingers of a mans leg i.e from the front end of a man. However i believe that we should stand in a line starting from the backend of our toe. Consider this example. say two persons one whose feet size is 10 and the other whose feet size is 5 are to offer their prayers together. if we stand in a line from the fornt end of our feets then the person with small legs would go ahead and the person with big feets would be behind him since our body structure stands on the back end of our feets. please clarify this point. The person in the mosque said that what he is saying is a Hadith quoted by Hazrath Anus. Also i would be grateful if you could let me know where should one be looking during the course of namaz i.e when standing, in rukuh, going up from rukuh,in sajdah, while sitting after sajdah. One more thing i wanted to know was how should the fingers of our hand be when we are sitting after sajdah.i.e should they be stuck to one another or apart form each other.
Answer
The Qur?aan and Ahaadith are replete with advices of maintaining unity among Muslims. Almighty Allah advises us, ?And hold firmly the rope of Allah and do not disunite.? (Surah Aale-Imraan Aayat103) One way of enhancing unity and avoiding disunity is straightening our Saffs in Salaat. Consider the following Ahaadith:%0D%0A%0D%0ANu?maan ibn Bashir (radhiallaahu anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) would straighten our Saffs with such care that even arrow shafts could be straightened with them (by using them as a guide) until he saw that we understood (the importance of straightening the Saffs). Once he came out and stood (on his Musalla) and just before making Takbeer he noticed a person?s chest sticking out of the Saff. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, ?O Servants of Allah! Straighten your Saffs or else Allah will cause division amongst your hearts.? (Muslim vol.1 pg.182; Qadeemi)%0D%0A%0D%0AJaabir ibn Samurah (Radhiallaahu Anhu) narrates, Once Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) came to us and said, ?Will you not form your Saffs in the way the Malaaikah form their Saffs by Allah?? We asked, ?How do the Malaaikah form their Saffs.? Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) answered, ?They complete the first Saff and they stand close to each other.? (Ibid pg.181)%0D%0A%0D%0ATogether with straightening the Saffs, there should be no gap between the Saffs. Ibn Umar (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, ?Establish your Saffs, make sure your shoulders and in line and close the gaps. Become soft in the hands of your brothers (i.e. if someone moves you in order to straighten the Saff, then comply with him) and do not leave gaps for Shaytaan. Whoever joins a Saff, Allah joins ties with him and whoever breaks a Saff, Allah breaks off ties with him.? (Abu Dawud pg.104; Imdaadiya)%0D%0A%0D%0ASayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattaab (Radhiallaahu Anhu) and Sayyiduna Uthmaan ibn Affaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu) in their respective reigns as Khalifas used to appoint someone who would check that all the Saffs are straight and only after confirmation would they commence the Salaat. (Muatta Imaam Maalik Hadith453, 454)%0D%0A%0D%0AHence, all Musallees should realise the importance that was attached to this fundamental part of Salaat by Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) and his illustrious Khulafaa. %0D%0A%0D%0AIt is desirable for the Imaam to advise the people before Salaat to straighten their Saffs and appoint a person to check the Saffs are straight. (Shaami vol.1 pg.568). The manner in which the Saffs should be straightened is that shoulders and heels should be in line.%0D%0A%0D%0Aand Allah Ta'ala Knows Best%0D%0A%0D%0AMufti Ebrahim Desai