to sit in his shop and wait for the rows to reach him. Rather, he must go to the mosque and fill the first row, then each successive row. And Allah knows best.
He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:
“Is a person’s Friday prayer valid if he chooses to pray in marketplaces, shops, or streets?”
He replied:
If the rows are continuous, there is no harm in praying there for someone who arrives late and has no other option. But those who deliberately remain there instead of entering the mosque, such as those who sit in the shops, are acting wrongly and contrary to the Sunnah.
For the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“Will you not form rows as the angels form rows before their Lord?”
They asked, “How do the angels form rows before their Lord?”
He replied, “They complete the first row, then each successive row, and stand close together in the row.”
He also said:
“The best rows for men are the first, and the worst are the last.”
If, however, the rows are not continuous, but a road separates them, the scholars hold two views concerning the validity of the prayer, both transmitted from Ahmad.