Benefit:
His words, “while the people remained in their rows,” mean that they were facing the qiblah. Facing the qiblah carries four rulings:

1. Obligatory—in every prayer, whether mandatory or voluntary.

2. Recommended—when making supplication.

3. Prescribed for all other acts of worship—such as remembrance, Qur’an recitation, ablution, and so forth—unless there is evidence to the contrary. The author of al-Furūʿ states, “It is to be observed in every act of worship unless an evidence indicates otherwise.”

4. Prohibited—while relieving oneself, though scholars differ as to whether the prohibition is absolute or applies only when one is in an open space.