will punish them by turning their faces toward their backs until their necks are twisted. Others said that the expression refers to setting your views at odds with one another, just as in the previously cited ḥadith, “Do not disagree, lest your hearts disagree.” This latter interpretation is the sounder and more convincing. The Messenger ﷺ forbade us from being divided, declaring, “Straighten your rows, or Allah will set your faces at variance.” It is well known that outward disunity leads to inward disunity: when people differ outwardly, their hearts differ inwardly, and when hearts differ, evil and corruption follow—may Allah protect us.

In summary, this entire section shows that we are commanded to straighten the rows in the following ways:

1 – Align the row so that no one stands ahead of another. For this reason the Companions would place one foot next to the foot of the person beside them and one shoulder next to his shoulder. This description exposes the error of those who, when they stand in the row, spread their legs so wide that although foot touches foot, the shoulders are far apart; this is an innovation and not part of the sunnah. The sunnah is that we all agree to stand evenly, ankle to ankle and shoulder to shoulder.

2 – Complete the rows from the front backward: no one should form a second row while the first is incomplete, nor a third while the second is incomplete, and so on.

3 – When men and women pray together, it is preferable for the women to stay behind the men, for the best rows for women are the last and the worst are the first.

4 – Close any gaps so that we do not leave an opening through which the devils can slip, because