and the most exalted character traits, foremost among them his profound humility. For all his august rank and lofty status, he would answer the invitation of young and old, male and female, rich and poor alike. By doing so he pursued noble ends and lofty aims: mending the hearts of the down­trodden, humbling himself before the needy, instructing the uninformed, and many other praiseworthy purposes.

So he came to this hostess and ate from her food. He then seized the occasion to teach these vulnerable people—who might not press in among the elders at his blessed gatherings—and told them to stand so that he could lead them in prayer, enabling them to learn from him how to pray. Anas therefore brought an old mat that had blackened from long use, sprinkled it with water, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood upon it to lead them.

Anas and the orphan formed a single row behind the Prophet ﷺ, while the elderly woman—the hostess—lined up behind Anas and the orphan and prayed with them. He led them in two rakʿahs and then departed, having fulfilled the right of hospitality and instruction. May Allah bless and grant him peace, and may He favor us with following him in deed and character.

Scholarly disagreement
The majority of scholars hold that it is valid for a boy who has not yet reached puberty to stand in the row for both obligatory and voluntary prayers, citing this sound hadith, for Anas described his companion as an orphan. The well-known position in the Hanbali school is that such placement is valid only in voluntary prayers, in line with this hadith, and invalid in obligatory prayers.

It has already been stated that rulings given for one type of prayer apply to the other, since their legal rulings are identical. Whoever restricts a ruling to one of them must provide proof, and there is none to do so. Accordingly, the correct view is that of the majority; it was chosen by Ibn ʿAqīl among the Hanbalis and deemed correct by Ibn Rajab in his Qawāʿid.

Points derived from the hadith

1. It is valid for a minor to stand in the row during prayer, for the term “orphan” applies to one whose father has died and who has not yet reached maturity.
2. The preferred position for those being led in prayer is to stand behind the imam.
3. A woman’s position in congregational prayer is behind the men.