[1] Close Gaps In The Rows During Prayer and Do Not Raise Your Voice too Loud In Recitation
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Strengthening The Rows and Closing The Gaps Between Performers of The Prayer – By Imaam Abdul Azeez Bin Baaz [may Allaah have mercy upon him]
What is common here in the Kingdom – in prayer – is the absence of closing the gaps between the performers of the prayer in their rows, in addition to the loud voices in the Masjid when reciting the Qur’an. And what is the meaning of the statement of the Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him], “Let not one of you (raise his voice) with his recitation over the recitation of his brother”? (Please) explain these two affairs, and Allah reward you with good.
Response: Not closing the gaps is tantamount to ignorance. It is obligated on the one who witnesses this to advise his brothers. Always close the gaps. The Imams say, “Straighten up, close the gaps, come close together”, but this requires hearts that listen and ears that hear. Closing the gaps is obligatatory and the Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] commanded it. He said: “Set the rows in order, stand shoulder to shoulder, close the gaps”. (see footnote a) This is how he [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] commanded, so it is obligatory that the gaps in the rows are closed and (people) come close together.
As for reciting aloud, this should not be done. It is obligatory for the believer to recite in a low voice so that he does not harm (i.e. disturb or distract) those around him, and does not disturb those worshipers and reciters around him. If he is reading in the row, he reads in a low tone, so as not to disturb the people around him; unless there are people around him who are not reading and they love to hear his voice, so he raises it to the level they can hear. As for raising (the voice) and harming (i.e. disturbing or distracting) those around him who are praying or reciting, and disturbing them, (then) no. The Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] came to a people in the Masjid and heard them reciting the Qur’an in a loud voice. He removed the curtain and said, “Verily, every one of you is calling his Lord. Let not some of you raise your voice over that of others…” (see footnote b) (1)
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Footnote a:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Set the rows in order, stand shoulder to shoulder, close the gaps, be pliant in the hands of your brethren, and do not leave openings for the devil. If anyone joins up a row, Allah will join him up, but if anyone breaks a row, Allah will cut him off. [Saheeh Abu Dawud 666]
Narrated Anas bin Malik [may Allaah be pleased with him]: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Straighten your rows for I see you from behind my back.” Anas added, “Everyone of us used to put his shoulder with the shoulder of his companion and his foot with the foot of his companion.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari 725]
An-Nu’man Bin Bashir [may Allaah be pleased with him] said: Allaah’s Messenger (ﷺ) faced the people and said three times; straighten your rows (in prayer); by Allah, you must straighten your rows, or Allah will certainly put your faces in contrary directions. I then saw that every person stood in prayer keeping his shoulder close to that of the other, and his knee close to that of the other, and his ankle close to that of the other. [Sahih Abu dawud 662]
Footnote b:
Narrated Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri [may Allaah be pleased with him]: Allaah’s Messenger (ﷺ) came to the Masjid and heard them (the people) reciting the Qur’an in a loud voice. He removed the curtain and said: “Verily, every one of you is calling his Lord. Let not some of you raise your voice over that of others in recitation or in prayer”. [Sahih Abu Dawud 1332]
To be continued InShaaAllaah
Read this article by Shaikh Abu Khadeejah [may Allaah preserve him]: https://abukhadeejah.com/guarding-preserving-the-prayer-how-to-pray-in-congregation/
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