Worship and the Pillars

Jabir bin Samurah (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out to us (once) and said, "Why do you not stand in rows as the angels do before their Rubb?" We asked: "O Messenger of Allah! how do the angels stand in rows before their Rubb?" He (ﷺ) replied, "They complete each row beginning with the first and filling all the gaps."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "If people came to know the blessing of calling Adhan and the standing in the first row, they could do nothing but would draw lots to secure these privileges."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The best of the men's rows (in Salat) is the first row and the worst is the last; but the best of the woman's row is the last and the worst of their rows is the first."

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) perceived a tendency among his Companions to stand in the back rows, he said to them, "Come forward and be close to me and let those who come after you, follow your lead. If people continue to fall behind (i.e., in acquiring virtues), Allah puts them behind."

Abu Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to gently pat our shoulders when we were standing in rows at the time of Salat and say, "Keep (the rows) straight; do not differ from each other lest your hearts should suffer from discord. Let those of you who are mature and prudent be nearer to me, and then those who are next to them."

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Keep your rows straight (during Salat in congregation), for keeping the rows straight is part of the perfection of Salat."

An-Nu'man bin Bashir (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Straighten your rows; otherwise, Allah will create dissension among you.".The narration in Muslim is: An-Nu'man bin Bashir (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) directed us to keep our rows as straight as arrows. He continued stressing this until he realized that we had learnt it from him (recognized its significance). One day he came into the mosque and stood up. He was just about to say Takbir (Allah is Greater) when he noticed a man whose chest was projected from the row, so he said, "O slaves of Allah, you must straighten your rows or Allah will certainly put your faces in opposite directions."

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Arrange the rows in order, stand shoulder to shoulder, close the gaps, be accommodating to your brothers, and do not leave gaps for Satan. Whoever joins up a row, he will be joined to Allah (i.e., to the Mercy of Allah); and whoever cuts off a row, he will be cut off from Allah (i.e., from His Mercy)."

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Stand close together in your rows, keep nearer to one another, and put your necks in line, for by Him in Whose Hands my soul is, I see the Satan entering through the opening in the row like Al- hadhaf (i.e., a type of small black sheep found in Yemen)."

Al-Bara' (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Whenever we performed Salat behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), we liked to be on his right side so that his face might turn towards us (at the end of the Salat). One day, I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) supplicating, "O my Rubb! Shield me from Your Torment on the Day when You will gather (or said, 'resurrect') Your slaves."

Umm Habibah (May Allah be pleased with her) the Mother of the Believers reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "A house will be built in Jannah for every Muslim who offers twelve Rak'ah of optional Salat other than the obligatory Salat in a day and a night (to seek the Pleasure of Allah)."

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: I performed along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) two Rak'ah of optional prayers before Zuhr and two after the Zuhr (noon prayer), and two after the Friday prayer, and two after the Maghrib (evening) prayer, and two after the 'Isha' (night) prayer."

'Abdullah bin Mughaffal (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "There is a Salat (prayer) between every Adhan and Iqamah; there is a Salat between every Adhan and Iqamah." (While saying the same for the) third time (he (ﷺ) added), "It is for him who desires (to perform it)."

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) never omitted four Rak'ah prayer before the Zuhr prayer and two Rak'ah prayers before dawn (Fajr) prayer..

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) did not attach more importance to any Nawafil prayer than the two Rak'ah of prayer before dawn (Fajr) prayer..

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The two Rak'ah before the dawn (Fajr) prayer are better than this world and all it contains."Another narration goes: "The two Rak'ah before the dawn (Fajr) prayer are dearer to me than the whole world."

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to perform two Rak'ah short prayer between the Adhan (call to prayer) and the Iqamah of the dawn (Fajr) prayers.In the narration of Muslim, 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to hear the Adhan (of Fajr prayer) he would perform two supererogatory Rak'ah prayer and would make them short.

Hafsah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to perform two short Rak'ah prayer when it was dawn and the Mu'adhdhin had called Adhan (for the Fajr prayer)..

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to perform his optional night prayers at night, two Rak'ah followed by two Rak'ah, and at the end he would conclude with an odd Rak'ah (Witr). Then he would perform two Rak'ah prayer before the dawn (Fajr) prayer after hearing the Adhan, and he would make them so brief as if he could hear the Iqamah being called..

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited in the two supererogatory Rak'ah of the Fajr prayer Surat Al-Kafirun (No. 109) .