Straightening of Rows in Solah

There is no way we can have good rows in solah except we adjust our toes to face the qiblah properly, and not facing the sides. This is a great deficiency in solah in many of our masaajid. The sides of our legs must be allowed to touch each other, and no space should be left in between. Our rows should be like a well arranged bricks. Straightening of the rows is a fundamental requirement in solah. Even after iqaamah had been made, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used not to commence the solah until the rows are well straightened. He taught the Companions رضي الله عنهم how to straighten the rows until they became experts in it. 

In a hadith reported in Imam an-Nawawi's Riyaad us Sooliheen, it was mentioned that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم even appointed some Companions رضي الله عنهم for the task of straightening the rows alone. Someone would watch the rows from behind up to the front, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would not commence the solah until he received signal that the rows are properly straightened. It was also reported in a riwaayah of Imam Muslim that the Prophet صلى لله عليه وسلم was about to make the first takbeer one day, and he noticed that someone had brought out his chest, he had to make sure that his chest corresponded with other people's chests. And he said:

 (لتسون صفوفكم أو ليخالفن الله بين وجوهكم)

"(It would be better) for you to make your rows straight or Allaah will cause discord among you.”

This shows that one of the things that create problems among us is lack of straightening the rows properly in solah. This is one of the major causes of our disunity. The scholars have said it is a must to straighten the rows. It is a must for an Imam to learn and teach his congregation how to line up in solah. But today, if you try to correct some people with soft words, they will say "etun ti de?, baa ti baa nuu". "You have come again? That is how we met our forefathers doing it". We observe our prayers anyhow and we think it is normal. It is not normal at all.

May Allah rectify our affairs

Ibn 'Abdillah As-sudaisiy 

3rd Dhul Hijjah, 1438AH (25th August, 2017)