Establishing the Prayer and the Sunnah Regarding Them

"‏ إِنِّي لأَسْمَعُ بُكَاءَ الصَّبِيِّ فَأَتَجَوَّزُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ ‏"

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘I hear an infant crying so I make the prayer short.’”

"‏ إِنِّي لأَقُومُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ وَأَنَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُطَوِّلَ فِيهَا فَأَسْمَعُ بُكَاءَ الصَّبِيِّ فَأَتَجَوَّزُ كَرَاهِيَةَ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمِّهِ ‏"

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘I get up to perform prayer and I intend to make it long, but then I hear an infant crying, so I make it short, because I do not like to cause distress to his mother.’”

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ بْنِ رَافِعٍ، عَنْ تَمِيمِ بْنِ طَرَفَةَ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ السُّوَائِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ‏"‏ أَلاَ تَصُفُّونَ كَمَا تَصُفُّ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْنَا وَكَيْفَ تَصُفُّ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهَا قَالَ ‏"‏ يُتِمُّونَ الصُّفُوفَ الأُوَلَ وَيَتَرَاصُّونَ فِي الصَّفِّ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Will you not form your rows as the angels form their rows before their Lord?’ We said: ‘How do the angels form their rows before their Lord?’ He said: ‘They complete the first row and they stand close of one another in the line (leaving no gaps between one another).’”

"‏ سَوُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ فَإِنَّ تَسْوِيَةَ الصُّفُوفِ مِنْ تَمَامِ الصَّلاَةِ ‏"

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Make your rows straight, for straightening the rows is part of completing the prayer.’”

"‏ سَوُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ وُجُوهِكُمْ ‏"

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to straighten the rows until he made them like a spear or an arrow-shaft. Once he saw a man’s chest (sticking out) so the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Make your rows straight or Allah will create division among you.’”

"‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلاَئِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ الصُّفُوفَ وَمَنْ سَدَّ فُرْجَةً رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً ‏"

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Allah and His angels send blessings upon those who complete the rows, and whoever fills a gap, Allah will raise him one degree in status thereby.’”

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، أَنْبَأَنَا هِشَامٌ الدَّسْتَوَائِيُّ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ خَالِدِ بْنِ مَعْدَانَ، عَنْ عِرْبَاضِ بْنِ سَارِيَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ كَانَ يَسْتَغْفِرُ لِلصَّفِّ الْمُقَدَّمِ، ثَلاَثًا، وَلِلثَّانِي، مَرَّةً ‏.‏

It was narrated from ‘Irbad bin Sariyah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to ask for forgiveness for the first row three times and for the second row twice.

"‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلاَئِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى الصُّفُوفِ الأُوَلِ ‏"

“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘Allah and the angels send blessings upon the first row.’”

"‏ لَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِي الصَّفِّ الأَوَّلِ لَكَانَتْ قُرْعَةٌ ‏"

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘If they knew what (goodness) there is in the first row, they would cast lots for it.’”

"‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلاَئِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى الصَّفِّ الأَوَّلِ ‏"

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Allah and the angels send blessings upon the first row.’”