Summary
"What appears to be the case is that it is permissible to offer prayers in congregation in the mosques with gaps between worshippers in the row for fear of spreading contagion and sickness, and that is better than closing the mosques. Not forming tight rows, in this case, is for a valid reason, and there are similar cases in Islamic teachings with regard to the obligatory parts, conditions and essential parts of the prayer that may be waived when there is a reason to do so, even when they are more important than the issue under discussion here. But it may be noted that this applies in the case when there is no instruction from the appropriate authorities to refrain from praying in congregation in the mosque and to close the mosques temporarily until the pandemic is over, as has happened in many Muslim countries during this coronavirus [Covid-19] pandemic. In that case, it is obligatory to comply with these instructions until the pandemic is over and people are told to resume normal life, in accordance with what is in the public interest."
"Firstly:
The instruction in the Sunnah is to perform the prayer with the rows tight and close together, to fill the gaps, and to complete the first row, then the next and the next.
Ahmad (12352), Abu Dawood (671) and an-Nasaa’i (818) narrated from Anas that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Complete the first row, then the next, and if there is to be any shortcoming, let it be in the last row.”
The version narrated by Abu Dawood says: “Complete the front row, then the next, and if there is to be any shortcoming, let it be in the last row.”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
It was narrated by Ahmad (5724) and Abu Dawood (666) from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Straighten your rows, make your shoulders level, fill the gaps, be gentle in the hands of your brothers, and do not leave any space for the Shaytaan. Whoever completes a row, Allah will grant him His mercy, and whoever makes a gap in a row, Allah will cut him off (from His mercy).” This hadith was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Abu Dawood (667) and an-Nasaa’i (815) narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Form tight rows and make them close together, and make your necks in line with one another.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
What is meant by forming tight rows is:
As-Sindi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The words “Form tight rows” refer to standing close to one another in straight rows. “Make them close together” means: make the space between rows small, so that the rows are close to one another. End quote.
Ibn al-Mundhir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: ‘Ali narrated that Abu ‘Ubayd said: al-Kisaa’i said: Forming tight rows (at-taraass) means that the people stand very close to one another, so that there are no gaps between them. One example of a word from the same root may be seen in the verse in which Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “as though they are a [single] structure joined firmly [bunyaan marsoos]” [as-Saff 61:4].
End quote from al-Awsat by Ibn al-Mundhir (4/19-20).
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: What is meant by straightening the rows is completing the first row, then the next, filling the gaps, and standing in line with one another, so that no person’s chest sticks out in relation to the one next to him. The second row should not be started until the first row is complete, and no one should stand in a row [by himself] until the row in front of it is complete.
End quote from al-Majmoo‘ by an-Nawawi (4/123).
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: Straightening the row means standing in a straight line, so that no one is ahead of anyone else. But is what matters the front of the feet?
Answer: What matters is the shoulders at the top of the body, and the heels at the bottom of the body…
Moreover, the straightening of the rows concerning which there is a warning against not doing it refers to straightening the row by being next to and in line with others…
There is another meaning of taswiyah as-saff (translated here as straightening the row) which is perfection or making the row perfect; this is like when Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And when he attained his full strength and was [mentally] mature [astawa]” [al-Qasas 28:14], that is, he attained perfection. If we refer to straightening the row in the sense of making it perfect, that is not limited to the worshippers being in a straight line only; rather it includes a number of things:
Being in a straight line, which according to the correct view is obligatory, as mentioned above.
Forming tight rows. This is part of making the rows perfect. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to enjoin that, and recommend his ummah to make their rows like the rows of the angels before their Lord, as they form tight rows and complete the first row, then the next. But what is meant by forming tight rows is not leaving gaps for the devils; it does not mean jostling one another and pushing and shoving, because there is a difference between forming tight rows and jostling one another…
End quote from ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘ (3/10).
Secondly:
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Our companions and others are agreed that it is mustahabb (recommended) and encouraged to be in the first row. There are many hadiths in as-Saheeh which speak of that. It is also recommended to be on the right of the imam, to fill gaps in the rows, to complete the first row, then the next, until the last row, and not to start a new row until the row in front of it is complete.
End quote from al-Majmoo‘ (4/301).
In fact, the apparent meaning of the command to straighten the rows and the Prophet’s emphatic enjoining to do that indicates that it is obligatory, as is the apparent meaning of the words of Imam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) when he said:
Prayer in congregation (jamaa‘ah) is so called because the Muslims come together (ijtimaa‘) in time and place to do this action. … In fact they are enjoined to form rows, and in fact the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed them to straighten the rows, with everyone standing in a straight line, to form tight rows, to fill gaps, and to complete the first row, then the next, by way of striving to make their gathering in the best manner possible. Were it not that forming straight rows is obligatory, it would be permissible for people to stand behind one another, and so on. This is something that is common knowledge, that that is not how the Muslims pray. If that were something permissible, the Muslims would have done it at least once.… According to the teachings of Islam, it is obligatory to form rows.
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (23/394).
This is the view that was favoured by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) when he said:
Hence the correct view is that it is obligatory to straighten the row, and that if the congregation does not straighten the rows, then they are sinning. This is the apparent meaning of the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him). But if they do not comply and do not make their rows straight, does the prayer become invalid because they fail to do something that is obligatory?
Answer: there is that possibility. It may be said that the prayer is invalidated because they failed to do something that is obligatory [waajib], but the possibility that their prayer is not invalidated, although they are still sinning, is more likely, because straightening the row is obligatory for the prayer but it is not obligatory in the prayer. In other words, it is not part of performing the prayer. What is obligatory [waajib] for the prayer leads to the person sinning if he omits it, but his prayer is not rendered invalid thereby. One example is the adhaan (call to prayer): it is obligatory for the prayer, but the prayer is not rendered invalid if it is omitted.
End quote from ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘ (3/10).
Thirdly:
With regard to the validity of the prayer, it is valid, even according to the Hanbalis who regard as invalid the prayer of one who prays on his own in the last row.
It says in Mataalib Ooli an-Nuha Sharh Ghaayat al-Muntaha (1/695):
The prayer is not invalidated if there is a gap in the row, regardless of where the row is, whether it is behind the imam or to his right, unless the row is to his left – that is, to the left of the imam – if the one who is standing by himself is standing at a distance of three men. In that case, his prayer is rendered invalid. This was stated by Ibn Haamid, and he stated that it is the correct view in ar-Ri‘aayah al-Kubra. … That also applies to one who drifts away from the row, even though he is in line with it, and the distance between him and it is the same, that is the distance of three men between him and others; his prayer is rendered invalid.
This is not quite sound, because as we noted above, there is nothing wrong with interrupting the row behind the imam or to his right. That applies whether there is one person or a group of people. End quote.
Al-‘Allaamah ‘Uthmaan an-Najdi said, in his commentary on Sharh al-Muntaha (1/318):
source http://www.nairaland.com/5920225/covid-19-ruling-praying-gaps-rows
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