Riyad al-Salihin - Al-Nawawi - (1/409)

Riyad al-SalihinAl-Nawawi

during the prayer and would say, “Stand straight and do not differ, lest your hearts differ (1). Let those of you who possess maturity and sound judgement (2) stand closest to me, then those who come next, then those who come next.” Related by Muslim.

1094 – Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Straighten your rows, for straightening the row is part of completing the prayer.” Agreed upon.

In another wording recorded by al-Bukhari: “For the straightening of the rows is part of establishing the prayer.”

1095 – He also reported: When the prayer had been called, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ turned to us facing us and said, “Align your rows and draw close together, for I can see you from behind my back.” Narrated by al-Bukhari in these very words, and by Muslim with the same meaning.

Al-Bukhari also related: “Each one of us would put his shoulder against the shoulder of his companion and his foot against his foot.”

1096 – Al-Nuʿmān ibn Bashīr (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, “You will certainly straighten your rows, or Allah will surely cause your faces to differ.” Agreed upon.

In a narration reported by Muslim: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to straighten our rows as though he were aligning arrow shafts (3) until he saw that we had understood. Then one day he came out, stood ready to pronounce the opening takbīr, and noticed a man whose chest was protruding from the row. He said, “Servants of Allah, straighten your rows, or Allah will surely cause your faces to differ.”

1097 – Al-Barāʾ ibn ʿĀzib (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would move between the rows from one side to the other, gently passing his hand over our chests and shoulders, and he would say, “Do not—”

(1) That is, their whims and personal desires; once such motives prevail, trials erupt, the community’s unity is shattered, and the strength of Islam and the Muslims unravels. The wording subtly hints that outward disagreement breeds inward discord—reflect on this. (2) Meaning adults of sound mind who are fully distinguished by virtue. (3) Its explanation has already been given in the commentary on the same hadith under no. 164.

فِي الصَّلَاةِ وَيَقُولُ : « اسْتَوُوا وَلَا تَخْتَلِفُوا فَتَخْتَلِفَ قُلُوبُكُمْ (١) ، لِيَلِينِي مِنْكُمْ أُولُو الْأَحْلَامِ (٢) وَالنُّهَى ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ » رواه مسلم . ١٠٩٤ - وعن أنس رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله ﷺ : « سَوُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ ، فَإِنَّ تَسْوِيَةَ الصَّفِّ مِنْ تَمَامِ الصَّلَاةِ » متفق عليه . وفي رواية للبخاري : « فَإِنَّ تَسْوِيَةَ الصُّفُوفِ مِنْ إِقَامَةِ الصَّلَاةِ » ١٠٩٥ - وعنه قال : أُقِيمَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ، بِوَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ : « أُقِيمُوا صُفُوفَكُمْ وَتَرَاصُّوا ، فَإِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ ظَهْرِي » رواه البخاري بلفظه ، ومسلم بمعناه . وفي رواية للبخاري : « وَكَانَ أَحَدُنَا يُلْزِقُ مَنْكِبَهُ بِمَنْكِبِ صَاحِبِهِ وَقَدَمَهُ بِقَدَمِهِ » . ١٠٩٦ - وعن النعمان بن بشير رضي الله عنهما قال : سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول : « لَتُسَوُّنَّ صُفُوفَكُمْ ، أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ وُجُوهِكُمْ » متفق عليه . وفي رواية لمسلم : أن رسول الله ﷺ ، كَانَ يُسَوِّي صُفُوفَنَا ، حَتَّى كَأَنَّمَا يُسَوِّي بِهَا الْقِدَاحَ (٣) حَتَّى رَأَى أَنَّا قَدْ عَقَلْنَا عَنْهُ . ثُمَّ خَرَجَ يَوْمًا فَقَامَ حَتَّى كَادَ يُكَبِّرُ ، فَرَأَى رَجُلًا بَادِيًا صَدْرُهُ مِنَ الصَّفِّ ، فَقَالَ : « عِبَادَ اللَّهِ ، لَتُسَوُّنَّ صُفُوفَكُمْ ، أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ وُجُوهِكُمْ » . ١٠٩٧ - وعن البراء بن عازب رضي الله عنهما قال : كان رسول الله ﷺ ، يَتَخَلَّلُ الصَّفَّ مِنْ نَاحِيَةٍ إِلَى نَاحِيَةٍ ، يَمْسَحُ صُدُورَنَا وَمَنَاكِبَنَا ، وَيَقُولُ : « لَا

(١) أي : أهويتها وإرادتها ، وحينئذ ثور الفتن ، وتختلف الكلمة وتنحل شوكة الإسلام والمسلمين ، وفيه إشارة لطيفة إلى أن الاختلاف في الظاهر سبب لاختلاف الباطن . فتأمل . (٢) أي : البالغون العقلاء الكاملون في الفضيلة . (٣) مضى تفسيره في الحديث نفسه برقم ١٦٤ .